The Social Life of Money (ebook)

Argumento de The Social Life of Money (ebook)

"Dodd presents a wide-ranging and sophisticated review and integration of the academic work related to alternative conceptions of modern money. . . . [T]his is a richly rewarding book. Those of us accustomed to thinking of money as something we exchange for beer and pizza will never again have such a simple story."--Pietra Rivoli, Financial Times

"[T]his brilliant book helps reconsidering views, opinions and theoretical claims on money that might be taken for granted too easily. It is a must-read for any scholar interested in the topic as it helps to better understand the nature of money--or, of monies. Also, surely many future in-depth case studies of particular forms of money will gain enormously from this work."--Philipp Degens, LSE Sociology

"Nigel Dodd's The Social Life of Money is fascinating."--Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist

"Exhaustively researched. . . . Unexpected and fascinating."--BizEd

Nigel Dodd is professor of sociology at the London School of Economics. He is the author of The Sociology of Money and Social Theory and Modernity.

"As this book copiously shows, money is probably one of the most used concepts in the social sciences and the humanities, not counting economics. . . . A significant accomplishment"--Alex Preda, American Journal of Sociology

"An exhaustive analysis of money as a complex social process--not a thing--that will appeal to scholars in many fields."--Kirkus Reviews

"Nigel Dodd is one of the leading experts on the sociology of money. His excellent new book is a tour de force through sociological, economic, and philosophical theories of money, rich in historical examples and informed by current controversies. Highly original and broad in scope, the book will be a landmark in the sociology of money and will help us to rethink how money is organized in society."--Jens Beckert, director of the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies

"As Bitcoin and other digital currencies revolutionize the twenty-first-century financial world, we urgently need a guide for understanding how money works. With brilliant insight and sparkling examples, Nigel Dodd's The Social Life of Money deciphers past, present, and future moneys. Bold and inspiring, the book will instruct social scientists and also captivate general readers."--Viviana A. Zelizer, author of The Social Meaning of Money

"In this brilliant and exuberant book the reader is treated to a veritable feast of theories of money. The author explores not only what economists have said on money but also literary authors, philosophers, and utopians. The result is a fantastic cornucopia of ideas, of a type rarely seen in social science. Read, enjoy, and let your head spin!"--Richard Swedberg, Cornell University

"Nigel Dodd takes us on a tour de force through the meanings and possibilities of money, compelling us to rethink everything we thought we knew about its origins, current operations, and potential for positive social transformations. The book is clearly written and animated by engaging anecdotes. I was hooked from the first page."--Frederick F. Wherry, Yale University

"Astonishing in its coverage, this is the most comprehensive book on money that I have encountered. Genuinely interdisciplinary and broadly accessible, it should appeal across the social sciences and humanities. The writing is of a very high standard--clear, always progressive in its movement, and often witty or ironic."--Keith Hart, London School of Economics

"In this book, Nigel Dodd, one of today’s major sociologists of money, looks at the large debates and makes imaginative connections among some of the ‘big picture’ social lives of money. It compares broad worries about the corrosive aspects of money with the possibilities of its enormous productive power. If we ever needed a well-informed and accessible book on money like this one, it is now."--Jocelyn Pixley, Macquarie University, Sydney0PREFACE TO THE PAPERBACK EDITION IX
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS XVII
INTRODUCTION 1
1 ORIGINS
Barter 17
Tribute 23
Quantification 27
Mana 30
Language 34
Violence 43
Conclusion 46
2 CAPITAL
The Contradictions of Money 51
Credit Money 55
Finance Capital 59
Primitive Accumulation 63
When Credit Fails 66
Behind the Veil 72
Seeing Double 79
Conclusion 87
3 DEBT
Debt's Untold Story 94
Credit and Nothing but Credit 102
Neochartalism 106
Schumpeter's Banks 111
Minsky's Half-Century 117
Strange Money 121
Austerity Myths 126
Conclusion 132
4 GUILT
Ãœbermensch and Eternal Return 136
Capitalism, Debt, and Religion 142
Filthy Lucre 149
Conclusion 158
5 WASTE
Money, Excretion, and Heterogeneous Matter 166
Derrida's Ghosts 179
Cool Money, Living Money 189
Conclusion 204
6 TERRITORY
Westfailure 216
Nomisma 222
Deterritorialization 226
Empire 237
Euroland 251
Conclusion 266
7 CULTURE
Money and Cultural Alienation 273
Polanyi and the Problem of Embeddedness 278
Relational Monies 286
Scales of Value 294
A Quality Theory of Money 298
Repersonalizing Impersonal Money 305
Conclusion 310
8 UTOPIA
Simmel's Perfect Money 316
Fromm's Humanistic Utopia 330
Giving Time for Time 342
Rotting Money 346
Proudhon's Bank 351
Vires in Numeris 362
Toward a Monetary Commons 372
Conclusion 381
CONCLUSION 385
BIBLIOGRAPHY 395
INDEX 421