Gift of Thanks: The Roots & Rituals of Gratitude
by Margaret Visser
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- ISBN 10
- 0151013314
- ISBN 13
- 9780151013319
- Seller
-
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
Known as an ‘anthropologist of everyday life,’ Margaret Visser has, in five award-winning books, uncovered and illuminated the intriguing and unexpected meanings of everyday objects and habits. Now she turns her keen eye to another custom so frequently encountered that it often escapes notice: saying ‘Thank you.’ What do we really mean by these two simple words? This fascinating inquiry into all aspects of gratitude ranges from the unusual determination with which parents teach their children to thank, to the difference between speaking the words and feeling them, to the ways different cultures handle the complex matters of giving, receiving, and returning favors and presents. Visser illuminates the fundamental opposition in our own culture between gift-giving and commodity exchange, and the similarities between gratitude and its opposite, vengefulness. The Gift of Thanks considers cultural history, including the modern battle of social scientists to pin down the notion of thankfulness and account for it, and the newly awakened scientific interest in the biological and evolutionary roots of emotions. With her engaging combination of curiosity and erudition, Visser once again reveals the extraordinary in the everyday.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Powell's Bookstores Chicago (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- SIN0003727
- Title
- Gift of Thanks: The Roots & Rituals of Gratitude
- Author
- Margaret Visser
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10
- 0151013314
- ISBN 13
- 9780151013319
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Place of Publication
- Boston
- This edition first published
- 2009-11-19
Terms of Sale
Powell's Bookstores Chicago
All orders subject to previous sale. Domestic Standard ships USPS Bound Printed Matter; Domestic Expedited ships UPS Ground; International ships via Air courier. All orders over $200.00 upgraded to UPS Ground without additional charge.
About the Seller
Powell's Bookstores Chicago
About Powell's Bookstores Chicago
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...