Debt: The First 5,000 YearsNow in paperback: David Graeber’s “fresh . . . fascinating . . . thought-provoking . . . and exceedingly timely” (Financial Times) history of debt Here anthropologist David Graeber presents a stunning reversal of conventional wisdom: he shows that before there was money, there was debt. For more than 5,000 years, since the beginnings of the first agrarian empires, humans have used elaborate credit systems to buy and sell goods—that is, long before the invention of coins or cash. It is in this era, Graeber argues, that we also first encounter a society divided into debtors and creditors. Graeber shows that arguments about debt and debt forgiveness have been at the center of political debates from Italy to China, as well as sparking innumerable insurrections. He also brilliantly demonstrates that the language of the ancient works of law and religion (words like “guilt,” “sin,” and “redemption”) derive in large part from ancient debates about debt, and shape even our most basic ideas of right and wrong. We are still fighting these battles today without knowing it. |
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LibraryThing Review
Brugeranmeldelse - 2wonderY - LibraryThingThis is such a dense and encompassing work that all I have been able to do is sample it. Nonetheless, every page holds something interesting. Quite refreshing. I must try to finish it, but the library wants it back. Læs hele anmeldelsen
LibraryThing Review
Brugeranmeldelse - Urbandale - LibraryThingThe most informative book I've read in the last few years. It's a very wide-ranging look at the way debt historically interplays with society(and government), and spend large portions of time ... Læs hele anmeldelsen