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80th out of 156 books
—
22 voters
The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property
by
Lewis Hyde (Goodreads Author)
By now a modern classic, The Gift is a brilliantly orchestrated defense of the value of creativity and of its importance in a culture increasingly governed by money and overrun with commodities. Widely available again after twenty-five years, this book is even more necessary today than when it first appeared. An illuminating and transformative book, and completely original...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
December 4th 2007
by Vintage
(first published 1979)
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I tried to like this book, since it had come so highly recommended, and it was in a 25th anniversary edition. If it has been in print all those years, there must be something to it, right? Nope. First of all, it's badly structured. The first half is an extended discussion of the concept of gifts (vs paying for things) in ancient vs modern societies. Once you get the basic point, that (especially older) societies exchanged goods and services as gifts, not for money, and that Hyde thinks that's a...more
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I picked this up at a bookstore where I was killing some time before an appointment. I read the preface and the introduction and wept through them both. I left for my appointment, thinking I'd have to find a used copy of this book sometime and read it. A couple of hours later, I had to go back and buy it because I was still thinking about it. So it lit a fire under me, for sure. Whether or not it fulfilled the promise of that fire is still up for debate. The preface and the intro are really easy...more
Now in its 25th anniversary edition, this book is as current and necessary as it was in 1979. A creative mix of ethnography, folklore, economics (the gift economy, the market economy, the vegetable money economy?!), and literary criticism (Whitman and Pound) all seen through the prism of art as a gift and the artist as a gifted person. Keen observations are sprinkled throughout on how an artist needs to protect from market forces that space where the artwork is conceived (essentially a gift), an...more
This books gets me in the mood, creatively speaking, more reliably and more deeply than any other. Maybe I'm already primed by the time I pick it up, but still I highly recommend to artists and aspiring, cynical, doubtful creators that need a little help sometimes getting in the zone. This might help you reconnect to that thing inside of you that digs and gnaws all the time, but stays frustratingly elusive most of the time.
Mar 26, 2013
blake
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
anthropology-sociology
The title of this book is the most egregious misnomer I've ever encountered. Combined with the misleading jacket description I don't think I've ever had a more disappointing or frustrating experience from a book that I thought was going to be pretty straightforward.
It would have been more accurately subtitled not "Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World," but "An Ethnographic Study Through the Works of Whitman and Pound." If that subtitle still appeals to you, by all means read the book, b...more
It would have been more accurately subtitled not "Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World," but "An Ethnographic Study Through the Works of Whitman and Pound." If that subtitle still appeals to you, by all means read the book, b...more
Hyde originally wrote this book with poets in mind, but it is recommended for anyone working in any of the arts, or who wants to devote themselves to a career or calling that does not do well in a market economy. In the first half of the book he draws on cultural anthropology and folktales to lay out his theory of a gift economy, and the characteristics and requirements of a gift. In the second half, he uses that theory to examine the works and lives of Walt Whitman and Ezra Pound. Neither secti...more
I chose this edition because the new one looks like a Valentine's day card. I expected it to be perfumed inside.
The Gift is a large and pretty messy book, to its credit, but the main thrusts are: 1) To use detailed analyses of folk-tales, anthropology, and economic theory to come up with a model for human interaction that parallels commodity exchange but is based around gift-giving, and 2) To give detailed readings of Whitman and Pound, two poets whose careers and lives Hyde sees standing at an...more
The Gift is a large and pretty messy book, to its credit, but the main thrusts are: 1) To use detailed analyses of folk-tales, anthropology, and economic theory to come up with a model for human interaction that parallels commodity exchange but is based around gift-giving, and 2) To give detailed readings of Whitman and Pound, two poets whose careers and lives Hyde sees standing at an...more
6 likes · like · see review
While Hyde has given his readers the gift of a lens through which to view artistic endeavors, this could have been done in about 50 pages - not 385. This book reminded me of a typical college freshman essay: I want to write about everything! And therefore, nothing is really achieved. While the gift metaphor is interesting, it's too vague to help in any but the most theoretical way. This could have been a tight essay, a literary work (like a novel or short story) or a scholarly work on the anthro...more
I was surprised to find so many bad reviews of a book that was so universally esteemed by the artists I know. I happened upon it at a moment in time when my photography was beginning to be noticed by people and I felt very uncomfortable with the whole idea of selling photos. It would seem like this would be a unalloyed blessing, but it wasn't. Of course I would freely give photos to friends and family, but where do you draw the line? How far removed from your circle of family and friends does th...more
I confess that I only read part of this for an essay that I was writing about contemporary remix culture and copyright laws but the basic idea is great. Hyde claims that any creation has value in two different economies: financial value in the capitalist economy and also value in the gift economy.
The gift economy is to do with inspiration and sharing. It makes sense to first of all think about it in relation to the creation of artworks. When an artist feels inspired to create something, they no...more
The gift economy is to do with inspiration and sharing. It makes sense to first of all think about it in relation to the creation of artworks. When an artist feels inspired to create something, they no...more
I wanted to like this book, but ended up hating it thoroughly by the time I was done with it. His exploration of gift economies is one-sided and glosses over most of their problematic aspects; a text I read by a feminist author last year pointed out that in old school gift economies women were often used as gifts, and traded in the same way, as a form of homosocial bonding. Hyde refuses to acknowledge these less pleasant aspects of gift economies, focusing instead on everything that he can use t...more
Hyde tries to end his 25th anniversary Afterword on an optimistic note: things are really bad now, but the world is always changing. And in some respects, I can agree with him. But, as he points out earlier in the book, going back to a small community where gifts are valued for their intrinsic worth and not as commodities would be impossible in a global economy. And unless we self-desturct, leaving only a few isolated pckets of survivors, we're not going back.
His broad discussion touches not onl...more
His broad discussion touches not onl...more
There are some great ideas in this book, but you have to dig through Hyde's rather long-winded and schizophrenic writing style to unearth them. Essentially, he examines the balance between treating creative output as a commodity and as a gift, examining psychology, gift-exchange cultures, and folk tales--as well as two artists' lives and attitudes--along the way.
He does a nice job of examining the transformational nature of gift culture, and shows its impact. He also discusses both the challenge...more
He does a nice job of examining the transformational nature of gift culture, and shows its impact. He also discusses both the challenge...more
I read the new edition which has a red heart on the cover which led a friend to say "it looks like an Oprah's pick." It's not, and I doubt she hawks many books that feature as many full frontal assaults on market values. There's a lot of fascinating intellectual and cultural history in the tome, and overall I quite liked it. But as Preston Sturges might say, it does get a bit deep dish at times. And I get kind of creeped out at the feeling that artists are somehow a bit more special than regular...more
A very thought-provoking look at gift economies vs. market economies and the effect that each have on the world of art. This work exemplifies the adage that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Whereas I feared it would be a rather new-agey discourse with well worn maxims about how creativity makes the world a better place, it actually assumes a rather academic tone (the author teaches at Harvard) and offers rigorous arguments for the views expressed. The only downside - which the author re...more
May 29, 2012
Bennievermeer
added it
"...a work of art is a gift, not a commodity. Or, to state the modern case with more precision, (...) works of art exist simultaneously in two 'economies', a market economy and a gift economy. Only one of these is essential, however: a work of art can survive without the market, but where there is no gift there is no art."
This is the premise of Lewis Hyde's 'The Gift' (1983). Part anthropology, sociology and economics and part literary criticism, the book is hard to categorize, let alone summari...more
This is the premise of Lewis Hyde's 'The Gift' (1983). Part anthropology, sociology and economics and part literary criticism, the book is hard to categorize, let alone summari...more
Really interesting meditation on the conflicts between art and commerce...viewed through the perspective of all art as a "gift" that is not diminished through sharing. I'm just finishing and alreading feeling like I've got to read it again to get the full gist.
This book is for everyone! If you haven’t read it, read it. Now!
Hyde’s motivation for writing the book was the assumption that there are certain creative enterprises that are overlooked by the market and that if society values such creative products, there should be a way to solve this dilemma.
Hyde begins the book by explaining the difference between a gift and a commodity. The gift is described as that which is constantly moving and circulating, this movement is reciprocal, in giving we receiv...more
Hyde’s motivation for writing the book was the assumption that there are certain creative enterprises that are overlooked by the market and that if society values such creative products, there should be a way to solve this dilemma.
Hyde begins the book by explaining the difference between a gift and a commodity. The gift is described as that which is constantly moving and circulating, this movement is reciprocal, in giving we receiv...more
I think this book is potentially life changing. For anyone interested in the essence of what art and creativity are, beyond the definitions imposed on those terms by materialism, this book is absolutely essential reading.
The first chapters about the history and anthropology of gift-giving are fascinating. In the second half of the book there are a couple of chapters about specific poets, which, unless you're a student of poetry, slow the pace down. But the threads that are brought together thro...more
The first chapters about the history and anthropology of gift-giving are fascinating. In the second half of the book there are a couple of chapters about specific poets, which, unless you're a student of poetry, slow the pace down. But the threads that are brought together thro...more
Persevere through this book and I believe you will be rewarded with some interesting observations about human nature and how we perceive one another - in particular, you will find new perspectives on who is considered an "insider" or "outsider" to your group and how you treat them in kind.
You will also be introduced universally shared human traits - in this case, gift-giving. You will learn why there is much more to the practice of gift-giving than you ever thought possible and that the manipul...more
You will also be introduced universally shared human traits - in this case, gift-giving. You will learn why there is much more to the practice of gift-giving than you ever thought possible and that the manipul...more
This book provides a new perspective on what it means to have a gift (as an artist does), to give a gift, to receive a gift, and how the giving of gifts transforms the world. It's all about the ripple effect, really. Each of us has a gift to give. That we share it makes all the difference.
That's my summary of the book. The part I didn't like so much was the long-winded analysis of Walt Whitman and Ezra Pound, their lives and poetry. That half of the book was used to bolster his point about gifts...more
That's my summary of the book. The part I didn't like so much was the long-winded analysis of Walt Whitman and Ezra Pound, their lives and poetry. That half of the book was used to bolster his point about gifts...more
In order to elaborate on the idea of "gift" and contrast it with its opposite: "commodity" the author relies heavily on fables, myths, parables and the lives of several poets. The latter being the only type of artist through which the concept is explored in great detail. Overall I think the premise was fascinating and the argument persuasive but the chapters were a bit undiscplined. The middle third of the book covering Walt Whitman gets mired into excessive details about the poet's life that se...more
This book is challenging in the best sense. It calls into question how our society is run from the way we interact with our neighbor to being a part of a country. He makes good arguments and sets the groundwork for you to be able to really think about things in a new light. He challenges the standards by which we make decisions, how we treat people, gifts, art, land, and the lines we draw between "mine" and "yours." "Who is my neighbor?" And "What have I been given?" versus "what have I earned?"...more
It's philosophy and I don't do philosophy, but I like it so far!
So....I thought this was weak in Economics. Strong in examples. I liked the Ethiopian tribe, who when told by their government they had to institute a bride price said, no, we don't sell our women like objects.
Both the parts on Walt Whitman and Ezra Pound made me cry. For completely different reasons.
Whitman, when told my Emerson that he had to change Leaves of Grass, said no. And the general opinion objected to the same things Emerson had. It made me sad that Whitman for all his goodness, for a...more
Both the parts on Walt Whitman and Ezra Pound made me cry. For completely different reasons.
Whitman, when told my Emerson that he had to change Leaves of Grass, said no. And the general opinion objected to the same things Emerson had. It made me sad that Whitman for all his goodness, for a...more
A very interesting read. By turns turgid, dull, meandering . . . and somehow in a vague way, annoying-ly too liberal, but in a hard to define way (it was written from an academic stance in the late 70's) but also I don't think I have read another book this past year that I dog-eared, and highlighted as much.
An unusual synthesis of Jungian psychology, Marxist history, and literary criticism. Hyde weaves a compelling description of how creativity and art must be separate from money. He goes into i...more
An unusual synthesis of Jungian psychology, Marxist history, and literary criticism. Hyde weaves a compelling description of how creativity and art must be separate from money. He goes into i...more
A welcome introduction to thinking about gift-based economies/gift-based LIFE v. capiitalist market-economy. Satisfying to have the nature of gifts clarified--how they bind people together and build community (as opposed to detaching and isolating people, as marketplace transactions do), how they bring life by staying in motion (and how they perish by standing still), how the gift must spend itself to be renewed. And how all of this applies directly to the gifts involved in art-making. Gift ment...more
An excellent book for artists, writers, scientists, musicians... and wiki contributors - anyone who has a "gift" and senses the obligation to "keep the gift in motion."
Hyde lays out his thoughts on "gift economies," based on folklore and cultural studies. He contrasts gift exchange with less emotionally involving market transactions. And he explores the issues that artists face when they are obliged to market their own work - the risk of corrupting their deep art with market-driven hack work. (I...more
Hyde lays out his thoughts on "gift economies," based on folklore and cultural studies. He contrasts gift exchange with less emotionally involving market transactions. And he explores the issues that artists face when they are obliged to market their own work - the risk of corrupting their deep art with market-driven hack work. (I...more
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the first half of this book is a social history of the concept of "the gift" (inspired in part by the original work by Mauss). highly recommend reading through for a brilliant analysis of exchange, giving and the "spiritual" connection that gift cycles create.
the second half is comprised of, first, an account of Walt Whitman's life, followed by an account of Ezra Pound. Though I adore Whitman, this part of the book was gushy and mostly sucked. Parts of it were interesting, but mostly it read lik...more
the second half is comprised of, first, an account of Walt Whitman's life, followed by an account of Ezra Pound. Though I adore Whitman, this part of the book was gushy and mostly sucked. Parts of it were interesting, but mostly it read lik...more
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“Erik Erikson has commented: Potentially creative men like (Bernard) Shaw build the personal fundament of their work during a self-decreed moratorium, during which they often starve themselves, socially, erotically, and, at last but not least, nutritionally, in order to let the grosser weeds die out, and make way for the growth of their inner garden. ”
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