New Articles | THE PARTY BUSINESS

What fun?

Parties are about a lot more than having a good time

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THERE are two kinds of parties that matter—the ones people join and the ones people go to. The second sort change the world more than the first. They certainly excite the imagination of more people and give more delight, stirring the gene pool, filling newspapers, creating jobs and building contacts. Parties may seem the ultimate in evanescent pleasure, but they have always been a business with a serious side.

This article appeared in the New Articles section of the print edition under the headline “What fun?”

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