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Got a lil too scholarly and rambly for me at points. Some parts were hella interesting though. Just realizing what a philosophical concept debt is... crazy. Rec from mom. Took me ages to get through.
Got a lil too scholarly and rambly for me at points. Some parts were hella interesting though. Just realizing what a philosophical concept debt is... crazy. Rec from mom. Took me ages to get through.
The historical evidence is often murky Graeber quotes an absurd Babylonian text to show what he calls the paradox of debt: a way of thinking about money that strikes us as upside-down. Even as the contradiction vanishes, his book remains not just a folly but a serious folly.....
Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6472734584
This is a book everyone should read! David Graeber dismantles the myth of barter so effectively that he makes it looks easy to unriddle centuries of lies about money. I‘m surprised this isn‘t on the top of the banned book list; the ideas are revolutionary and refreshing. But maybe most people aren‘t interested in reading a 500+ page book about money and debt (they should!). Worth it in every way!! 💰 💸
Book review for Debt: The First 5,000 Years by David Graeber
Check out the full review here:
http://www.athinsliceofanxiety.com/2019/11/review-debt-first-5000-years.html?m=1
#athinsliceofanxiety #debt #bookstagrammer #davidgraeber
Interesting but repetitive as fuck. The first half hooked me, but I couldn't keep with the resting of the book, I mean, I finished it but I wanted to finish it so bad that I read the last part almost without catching what I was reading.
I found the first 2/3 of the book absolutely fascinating, but I've come to a halt with this one now - sorry! He covers so much ground - from theology to philosophy, economics, history, anthropology, a global scope, slavery, women's roles... The final part looks at the history of currencies, and I think I'd just got what I needed to out of this book by that point. Definitely worth a look and full of interesting info. Just too much for me right now!
The cover really doesn't do this one justice! Still enjoying it (I'm about 10 hours in now!), although I'm beginning to flag a little. It's an epic anthropological study of debt, with surprisingly little focus on 'money' - we've had economics, philosophy, trade, religion, slavery, honour, and we've visited cultures around the world & across time. The role & status of women in society is a strong theme throughout. Fascinating read!
So my craving for non-fiction ended up with me starting this on Audio. Not at all what I expected so far, and all the better for it. This is a study of debt and economics from the point of view of an anthropologist, looking back through time and across cultures, and critiquing some of our assumptions about debt, money and economics. So far, so fascinating. Surprisingly.
Reading in the hotel bar. Key lime pie, an old fashioned, and the history of credit and coinage systems. Oddly it all flows together.