Brooks claims that many of the major changes in our society over the past 50 years are as a direct result of changes to University education. In particular he cites the 1950s, 1960s opening of University education to a much greater number of people as well as the changes in admissions policy of elite colleges to admit people from a much greater diversity of background. He starts off by tracing the changes in the New York Times wedding pages. During the sixties and seventies, the pages lost popularity with the children of the upper middle classes. It was seen as false and pompous to appear in them.
Bobo culture is dedicated to accomplishment, in the name of creating a meritocracy.
Although merit may be the major indicator, other factors seem to creep in. In 84 percent of the weddings, both the bride and the groom have a parent who is a business executive, professor, lawyer, or who otherwise belongs to the professional class. Brooks goes on to characterize Bobos' patterns of consumption. Other parts of the book comment on business life and pleasure. Bobos work long and hard, not because they are forced to but because they want to.