“Without knowing it, Lundgren had laid the groundwork for one of the great marketing gambits of the twentieth century: the discreet transfer of costs from seller to buyer. Flat packing and all that went with it not only saved money, it liberated tables and chairs and bookshelves from historical reference. Rather than being passed down from generation to generation, accumulating nostalgic heft, furniture was cut loose from its history. For scores of millions of IKEA customers the world over, heirlooms gradually became obsolete. Why settle for dusty hand-me-downs when the stylish and new cost a pittance? Half”