During the nineteenth century, leisure industries emerged to provide recreation and entertainment to Americans of all classes. Entertainment has become a multi-billion dollar industry. The essays collected here explore the transformation this wrought in leisure and analyze its effects on class relations in American society.

1. Leisure and Hegemony in America Richard Butsch 2. Pessimism vs. Populism: The Problematic Politics of Popular Culture John Clarke 3. Pacifying American Theatrical Audiences, 1820- 1900 Bruce McConachie 4. "Adopted by All the Leading Clubs": Sporting Goods and the Shaping of Leisure, 1800-1900 Stephen Hardy 5. Commercial Leisure and the Woman Question Kathy Peiss 6. Big Time, Small Time, All Around the Town: The Structure and Geography of New York Vaudeville in the Early Twentieth Century Robert W. Snyder 7. The Movie Palace Comes to America's Cities Douglas Gomery 8. The United States Forest Service and the Post-War Commodification of Outdoor Recreation L. Sue Greer 9. A Historical Comparison of Children's Use of Leisure Time Ellen Wartella and Sharon Mazzarella 10. "How Does it Feel When You've Got No Food?" The Past as Present in Popular Music George Lipsitz 11. Home Video and Corporate Plans: Capital's Limited Power to Manipulate Leisure Richard Butsch