
Debt - Updated and Expanded
The First 5,000 Years
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Narrated by:
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Grover Gardner
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Written by:
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David Graeber
About this listen
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 LLCYou may also enjoy...
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What the critics say
What listeners say about Debt - Updated and Expanded
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2025-02-17
A rare gem
Graeber is informed, considered, careful, wise, contrarian, insightful and forceful. This book provides an urgent foundation to rethink our world, the economy and life.
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- Sohaib Shahid
- 2021-01-01
Interesting but heavy
Very important and interesting information that I think everyone should know. However, as Graeber says in the book this started out as an academic book; hence it is a dense book that takes a lot of time and concentration to listen to. Graeber’s later work is an easier listen for the layman, but this book covers topics that are equally important to
understand.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Bartek B
- 2023-11-04
Superbly read, very interesting subject
The author covers a lot of ground, and sometimes the subject is a little dense for an audio book. All the same, this was a fascinating journey through the history of debt and human societies.
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- Kindle Customer
- 2020-09-24
It's exactly what you think it is
It's long and comprehensive and thought-provoking. It has a worldview perspective. It's a bit anarchist.
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- Trevor E. Kelly
- 2021-07-23
Wow...
Exceptional analysis. So glad I took the time to consume this, I'll have to listen to it 100 more times I think but I'll get the physical book and make notes... important information... it's time for that discussion, I think.
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- Victor
- 2020-05-10
Great history lesson
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!
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- Jessie
- 2021-12-21
Great Book
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.
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- Andrew Jones
- 2021-01-05
Really Great Perceptive
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.
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- TM
- 2022-09-07
Very eye opening!
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.
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- Mitch
- 2023-10-14
Humbling
Another great book that lifted me up above myself, so I could look down and see why I do what I do.
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