First published 2011
Debt is woven into the fabric of human civilization. For millennia, we've been divided into debtors and creditors, our very concepts of right and wrong shaped by the ebb and flow of IOUs. Anthropologist David Graeber excavates this buried history, tracing how the language of debt has long been used to justify inequality, oppress the poor, and set the terms of political debate. From ancient Mesopotamia to the modern global order, Debt lays bare the revolutionary implications of freeing ourselves from this age-old balance sheet.
Genres: history, economics, anthropology, non-fiction
Vibes: academic, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-analysis, social-commentary
Paperback · Melville House Publishing