A review by fcannon
The Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies by Marcel Mauss

5.0

Very interesting essay on the history and function of "gift giving" (gift almost certainly carries the wrong connotation). Covers the potlatch culture of West Coast natives, Brahmin society in India, and the origins of Roman and German law. Fascinating to see how these traditions are retained in contemporary society, either through explicit laws or implicit cultural expectations.