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Read number two was a good call!

This book is something else. The first half is mostly an examination of debt conceptually, while the second is a world-wide historical journey through the development of debt. Graeber keeps the content dense in content without overwhelming the reader with jargon, all while maintaining an inquisitive and energetic tone. If you want a thorough debunking of Economics’ fundamental assumptions, this is a wonderful intro.

Turns out that if you want to look at Debt from an anthropological perspective, you first need to spend a good amount of time defining terms and setting ideological frames. Thankfully, Graeber is pretty good at doing all that without getting boring.

Can't help but think Graeber may have tasked himself with the demolition of economics as a field with this one, holy hell is it good

So the labor shortages caused by the Black Death resulted in huge gains for the lower classes. Due to the indiscriminate nature of the plague, women became much more economically independent. To crack down, states went so far as to *decriminalize rape* as a way of lowering the standing of women in general, while nationalizing prostitution as a way to stop rampant homosexual behavior.

*End Chapter One*

This already feels like a spiritual sequel to Capitalist Realism; When we're stuck in Capitalism, what happens to the futures we used to imagine? Why are we haunted by dreams of the future, and what can we do with these specters?

Got it for $11 at Half price books 😎

Also, turns out some of those feudal-era Heretics were really egalitarian, I may have to look into the Cathars at some point. Though I guess some of them didn't eat meat because it came from sexual reproduction and uh...

ok.