The Vice of Luxury: Economic Excess in a Consumer Age - Paperbackby David Cloutier (Author) Luxury. The word alone conjures up visions of attractive, desirable lifestyle choices, yet luxury also faces criticism as a moral vice harmful to both the self and society. Engaging ideas from business, marketing, and economics, The Vice of Luxury takes on the challenging task of naming how much is too much in today's consumer oriented society. David Cloutier's critique goes to the heart of a fundamental contradiction.