Debt - Updated and Expanded cover art

Debt - Updated and Expanded

The First 5,000 Years

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Debt - Updated and Expanded

By: David Graeber
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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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 LLC Ancient Anthropology Economic History Economics Theory World Thought-Provoking Inspiring Imperialism United States Self-Determination

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Critic reviews

"Controversial and thought-provoking, an excellent book." (Booklist)
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Not what I expected at all but an amazingly informative read. There were surprises in every chapter and beliefs and assumptions were dropped one after the other.

An exceptional read

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Thank you for this beautiful and deep insight into the disease called money for this is the cause of our current suffering🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Mind-blowing

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Amazing book! Graeber is an encyclopedia and a brilliant mind. What a journey! Get prepared to be challenged if you were taught neo classic economics. The world as you know it is not what it seems to be.
Now, this book is about anthropology and it is written by an academic. Meaning : it is long and sometimes it can be confusing. For those who really don't have enough time I recommend them to start with the chapter on Axial age. I can guarantee that they will be gobsmacked by the erudition and the cleverness of Graeber.

The end of the myth of barter

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Great book, quite long & requires alot of attention but good valuable information! worth a listen (will have tp listen t it again! !)

Great book!

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Debt has shattered many preconceptions that economic textbooks take for granted and has changed the way I view the Economy. Although it's densely packed with knowledge Graeber makes it easy it absorb. Wonderful book. Wonderful Author.

By far the best Audiobook I've listened to.

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Absolutely everything. This is a tremendous journey through the history of debt - monetary, in-kind, and monetary again. It has genuinely identified it and put debt in context for me. Great history, philosophy, economics and anthropology.

Money: What is it good for?

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This is a great book to help your understanding of how our monetary systems got here. It poses an intriguing dilemma as to how it will all work out (or not) in the end.

Fantastic insight into how "money" really works

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Insight to how money works ok relation to living. For anyone interested in humanity surviving another century!

A must

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I really enjoyed this book. Graeber's poltical inclination was to the left of mine but I know few writers who make a better case for rethinking the present capitalist assumptions about money.

Excellent, engaging and detailed account

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A truly fascinating history of debt and money if I ever heard of one. It's a very long book but worth the time.

Long but fascinating

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