Economist Thomas J. Stanley discusses Grey Goose in his book "Stop Acting Rich" (2009). Based on extensive research and surveys, Stanley describes Grey Goose as a favorite beverage of Americans he terms "aspirationals" (i.e., "those who wish to act rich", regardless of actual income or wealth, and thus spend large amounts of income on status items). Grey Goose costs up to four or five times more than most competing vodka brands and did not reach the top 10 in a 2005 taste test of vodka brands published in "The New York Times", yet has still seen "explosive sales growth" in a few short years due in large part to its being perceived as a drink of the economic elite—even more so than items like Rolex wristwatches or Mercedes Benz automobiles.