Debt: The First 5,000 Years -

: Graeber explains how the phrase "surely one has to pay one's debts" acts as a moral bludgeon, making even the most predatory or violent relationships seem fair and unremarkable. The 5,000-Year Cycle

: Includes a new introduction by Thomas Piketty and is available for approximately $21.00 – $34.99 at Walmart or Strand Book Store . If you're interested, I can: Summarize Graeber's argument for a modern debt jubilee

Graeber challenges the "myth of barter"—the idea taught in most economics textbooks that money was invented to solve the inconveniences of bartering goods. Debt: The First 5,000 Years

History, according to Graeber, moves in long cycles between (credit based on trust) and bullion (hard metal based on force):

: Coinage and slavery rose alongside large standing armies. : Graeber explains how the phrase "surely one

One of the book's most provocative insights is that the language of morality, law, and religion is deeply rooted in ancient debates about debt.

: A return to credit money as major empires collapsed. History, according to Graeber, moves in long cycles

: Virtual credit money dominated.