Bobos in Paradise is a book by David Brooks, first published in 2000. The word bobo, Brooks's most famous coinage, stands for "bourgeois bohemian." This is Brooks' term for the 1990s' descendants of the yuppies. Often of the corporate upper-middle to upper class, they rarely oppose mainstream society, claim highly tolerant views of others, buy lots of expensive and exotic items, and believe American society to be meritocratic. David Brooks David Brooks (born August 11, 1961) is a columnist for The New York Times who has become one of the prominent voices of conservative politics in the United States. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Bourgeois at the end of the thirteenth century. ... The term Bohemian was used in the nineteenth century to describe the non-traditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors in major European cities. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... Look up yuppie in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Bobo is often used in place of the word yuppie, which has usually negative connotations. In fact, even Brooks uses yuppie in a negative sense throughout his book.

Brooks's thesis in Bobos in Paradise was that this "new upper class" represented a marriage between the liberal idealism of the 1960s and the self-interest of the Reagan era. Critics of Brooks's thesis argue that he did not provide an argument for why this elite was specifically "new," and that the bobo trend merely represents changing tastes and preferences of a pre-existing upper-middle class (not a product of social mobility). The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ... Social mobility or intergenerational mobility is the degree to which, in a given society, an individuals social status can change throughout the course of his or her life, or the degree to which that individuals offspring and subsequent generations move up and down the class system. ...

Bobos are noted for avoiding indulging in high acts of conspicuous consumption in favor of spending the greatest amount possible on the "necessities". Brooks argues that they feel guilty consuming in the way typical of the so-called "greed era" of the 1980s so they prefer to spend extravagantly on kitchens, showers, and other common facilities of everyday life. They "feel" for the labor and working class but may refuse to buy American made goods. The term "bobo chic" was applied to a style of fashion, similar to "boho chic", that became popular in uptown New York in 2004-5. Conspicuous consumption is a term introduced by the American economist Thorstein Veblen, in The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899). ... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... Chic is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s, that has come to mean smart or stylish. ... Short floaty skirt, 2005 Boho-chic was a style of female fashion (c. ...

Bobos often have scientific or engineering education, and are often involved in alternative lifestyles, such as hobbies, arts, handicraft, history re-enactment, music etc. Bobos often relate to money rather as means than end; they do not disdain money but rather use it to achieve their ends than considering wealth as an achievable end itself. An alternative lifestyle is a lifestyle (a mode or style of conducting ones life) which carries the implication that it is not within the generally perceived cultural norm. ... A hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit. ... The Arts is a broad subdivision of culture, comprised of many expressive disciplines. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Applied art. ... Reenactors of the American Civil War Historical reenactment is an activity in which participants recreate some aspects of a historical event or period. ... Allegory of Music on the Opéra Garnier Music is an art form that involves organized sounds and silence. ...