To understand business and its political, cultural, and economic
context, it helps to view it historically, yet most business histories
look no further back than the nineteenth century. The full sweep of
business history actually begins much earlier, with the initial cities
of Mesopotamia. In the first book to describe and explain these origins,
Roberts depicts the society of ancient traders and consumers, tracing
the roots of modern business and underscoring the relationship between
early and modern business practice.
Roberts's narrative begins before business, which he defines as selling
to voluntary buyers at a profit. Before business, he shows, the material
conditions and concepts for the pursuit of profit did not exist, even
though trade and manufacturing took place. The earliest business, he
suggests, arose with the long distance trade of early Mesopotamia, and
expanded into retail, manufacturing and finance in these command
economies, culminating in the Middle Eastern empires. (Part One) But it
was the largely independent rise of business, money, and markets in
classical Greece that produced business much as we know it. Alexander
the Great's conquests and the societies that his successors created in
their kingdoms brought a version of this system to the old Middle
Eastern empires, and beyond. (Part Two) At Rome this entrepreneurial
market system gained important new features, including business
corporations, public contracting, and even shopping malls. The story
concludes with the sharp decline of business after the 3rd century CE.
(Part Three)
In each part, Roberts portrays the major new types of business coming
into existence. He weaves these descriptions into a narrative of how the
prevailing political, economic, and social culture shaped the nature and
importance of business and the status, wealth, and treatment of business
people. Throughout, the discussion indicates how much (and how little)
business has changed, provides a clear picture of what business actually
is, presents a model for understanding the social impact of business as
a whole, and yields stimulating insights for public policy today.
