The Gift Of Thanks
by Visser, Margaret
- Used
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN 10
- 0002007886
- ISBN 13
- 9780002007887
- Seller
-
Waltham, Massachusetts, 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.
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Details
- Bookseller
- More Than Words Inc. (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- BOS-N-13h-01162
- Title
- The Gift Of Thanks
- Author
- Visser, Margaret
- Book Condition
- Used - Good
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10
- 0002007886
- ISBN 13
- 9780002007887
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Place of Publication
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- This edition first published
- 2008
Terms of Sale
More Than Words Inc.
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.