A History of Everyday Things: The Birth of Consumption in France, 1600-1800 [Paperback]

Daniel Roche (Author), Brian Pearce (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521633591 | ISBN-13: 978-0521633598 | Publication Date: March 28, 2000

A History of Everyday Things is a pioneering essay by one of the world's leading cultural historians that sheds light on the origins of the consumer society, and thereby the birth of the modern world. Things that we regard as the everyday objects of consumption have not always been so: how, therefore, have people in the modern world become "prisoners of objects," as Rousseau put it? Daniel Roche answers this fundamental question of historical anthropology, and imaginatively explores the origins of the daily furnishings of modern life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Excellent and provocative....The text is clear and well organized, and the translation is excellent." Journal of Anthropological Research

"To read Roche is to see les choses banales-"everyday things"-in a new light, to understand their evolution, to grasp their significance as historical markers, and most of all, to appreciate how much twentieth century consumer society takes them for granted." Benjamin F. Martin

Book Description

A History of Everyday Things is a pioneering essay by one of the world's leading cultural historians that sheds light on the origins of the consumer society, and thereby the birth of the modern world. Things which we regard as the everyday objects of consumption have not always been so: how, therefore, have people in the modern world become 'prisoners of objects', as Rousseau put it? Daniel Roche answers this fundamental question of historical anthropology, and imaginatively explores the origins of the daily furnishings of modern life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (March 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521633591
• ISBN-13: 978-0521633598
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #827,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A master historian richly paints life in 18th-century France, July 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of Everyday Things: The Birth of Consumption in France, 1600-1800 (Paperback)

French historian Daniel Roche meticulously researches the everyday material culture of eighteenth-century France to create a subtle and nuanced picture of the lives of everyday people of the period. By examining developments such as plumbing and lighting in various urban and rural sections of France, Roche provides the reader with a way to approach history in a more intimate and empathetic manner. This is not a book for someone seeking a general history of 18th-century France, but for the reader who wants to get a detailed picture of daily life during this period, it is indispensible.