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Debt - Updated and Expanded

The First 5,000 Years

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Debt - Updated and Expanded

Written by: David Graeber
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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Now in audio, the updated and expanded edition: 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.

©2014 David Graeber (P)2015 Gildan Media LLC Anthropology Economics World Middle Ages Money Capitalism Latin America Africa Imperialism Socialism Taxation Iran Middle East Law Social justice China Self-Determination
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What the critics say

"Controversial and thought-provoking, an excellent book." (Booklist)
All stars
Most Relevant
Graeber is informed, considered, careful, wise, contrarian, insightful and forceful. This book provides an urgent foundation to rethink our world, the economy and life.

A rare gem

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Origin money, the understanding sin of dept, barter economy, slavery and other historical, anthropological and socio-economical factors of Homo Sapience. From the Bronze Age period till today. Just amazing!

Great history lesson

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Great book. I'll need to listen a couple more times to get more information out of it. This book has a big communist bias, that can be expected from an institutional academic. I still gave it 5 stars. Color within the lines boys.

Great Book

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A lot of us are aware that things in the world of economics are in some ways fundamentally broken. This book provides a great broad ranging view of how we got here, the cycles of humanities view of money, and context for our current world. To be taken in conjunction with other perspectives, but well worth a read and very valuable as you think through what ought to come next.

Really Great Perceptive

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A great overview of the various ways we have structured money throughout the past 5000 years. Although at times it may get fairly heavy with details, the overall picture is easy to follow and fascinating. Narration is clear and easy to listen to.

Very eye opening!

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