Status Updates From Citizens: A Chronicle of Th...

"In other words, literacy rates in the late 18th century France were much higher than in the late 20th century United States. It was only in the pools of unskilled, day-wage labor (...) that illiteracy predominated. By contrast, domestic servants, who also came from the countryside, were virtually all literate, able to read their contracts of employment." So, this surprised me. Literacy to Revolution? We'll see.

"For a long time now, historians have argued that what ministers of the French crown did or didn't do about the debt is of minor importance. For it was the nature of the old-regime monarchy itself that was the real problem. Hamstrung by privilege, how could a government consisting of men who bought or inherited their offices hope for even a modicum of bureaucratic efficiency?" - um, yeah, it's going to be a long one.

Making progress! Actually really enjoying this. Not sure I'll have the stamina to finish it without another book in the middle though. Reading this before bed is ideal though because after about 10 pages detailing the barriers to tax reform in 16th century France I'm sleeping like a bébé petite!