"If anthropology consists of making the apparently wild thought of
others logically compelling in their own cultural settings and
intellectually revealing of the human condition, then David Graeber is
the consummate anthropologist. Not only does he accomplish this profound
feat, he redoubles it by the critical task--now more urgent than
ever--of making the possibilities of other people's worlds the basis for
understanding our own." --Marshall Sahlins, University of Chicago
"Graeber's ideas are rich and wide-ranging; he pushes us to expand the
boundaries of what we admit to be possible, or even thinkable."--Steven
Shaviro, Wayne State University
In this new collection, David Graeber revisits questions raised in his
popular book, Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology. Written in an
unpretentious style that uses accessible and entertaining language to
convey complex theoretical ideas, these twelve essays cover a lot of
ground, including the origins of capitalism, the history of European
table manners, love potions in rural Madagascar, and the phenomenology
of giant puppets at street protests. But they're linked by a clear
purpose: to explore the nature of social power and the forms that
resistance to it have taken, or might take in the future.
Anarchism is currently undergoing a worldwide revival, in many ways
replacing Marxism as the theoretical and moral center of new
revolutionary social movements. It has, however, left little mark on the
academy. While anarchists and other visionaries have turned to
anthropology for ideas and inspiration, anthropologists are reluctant to
enter into serious dialogue. David Graeber is not. These essays,
spanning almost twenty years, show how scholarly concerns can be of use
to radical social movements, and how the perspectives of such movements
shed new light on debates within the academy.
David Graeber has written for Harper's Magazine, New Left
Review, and numerous scholarly journals. He is the author or editor of
four books and currently lives in New York City.
In Oakland, California on March 24, 2015 a fire destroyed the AK Press
warehouse along with several other businesses. Please consider visiting
the AK Press website to learn more about the fundraiser to help them and
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