Money and the Way it Alters the Mind In most cultures, there is one aspect which is valued above the rest, whether it be education, social status, or any other significant attribute. In Lewis Lapham’s Money and Class in America, ideas are produced about the importance of money in America’s culture. It is obvious, to those who read Lapham’s passage, that he researched thoroughly the ways we, as Americans, have been brought up differently than the rest of the world. The way Americans honor what is important is perceived as ridiculous, by many other cultures, because the only way to be respected in America is to be wealthy and therefore, powerful. L