The Fabric of Civilization

by Virginia Postrel

Book Reviews

  • 5 books for anyone interested in the creator economy: No Applause-Just Throw Money The $12 Million Stuffed Shark The Death of the Artist The Fabric of Civilization Representing Talent Art, film, fashion are hard to break in & even harder to get the economics rightLink to Tweet
  • A great read and timely for Diwali. Civilization is a survival technology. The artists and scientists who create textiles play an important role in how we experience & preserve culture. https://t.co/lGrbr5Ke4CLink to Tweet

About Book

From Paleolithic flax to 3D knitting, explore the global history of textiles and the world they weave together in this enthralling and educational guide. The story of humanity is the story of textiles -- as old as civilization itself. Since the first thread was spun, the need for textiles has driven technology, business, politics, and culture. In The Fabric of Civilization, Virginia Postrel synthesizes groundbreaking research from archaeology, economics, and science to reveal a surprising history. From Minoans exporting wool colored with precious purple dye to Egypt, to Romans arrayed in costly Chinese silk, the cloth trade paved the crossroads of the ancient world. Textiles funded the Renaissance and the Mughal Empire; they gave us banks and bookkeeping, Michelangelo's David and the Taj Mahal. The cloth business spread the alphabet and arithmetic, propelled chemical research, and taught people to think in binary code. Assiduously researched and deftly narrated, The Fabric of Civilization tells the story of the world's most influential commodity.