Inventing the world : Venice and the transformation of Western civilization / Meredith F. Small.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Small, Meredith F., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Venice (Italy)--History.

Venice (Italy).

Venice (Italy)--Social conditions.

Venice (Italy)--Social life and customs.

Venice (Italy)--Civilization.

Physical Description:

xvi, 333 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Pegasus Books, 2020.

Summary:

How did a small, isolated city--with a population that never exceeded 100,000, even in its heyday--come to transform western civilization? Anthropologist Meredith Small examines the unique Venetian social structure that was key to their explosion of creativity and invention that ranged from the material to social. Whether it was boats or money, medicine or face cream, opera, semicolons, tiramisu or child-labor laws, these all originated in Venice and have shaped contemporary notions of institutions and conventions ever since. The foundation of how we now think about community, health care, money, consumerism, and globalization all sprung forth from the Laguna Veneta. But Venice is far from a historic relic or a life-sized museum. It is a living city that still embraces its innovative roots. As climate change effects sea-level rises, Venice is on the front lines of preserving its legacy and cultural history to inspire a new generation of innovators. -- Amazon.

Contents:

1 The Spark: Why Humans Invent, Create, and Explore p. 1

2 Venetians Created Themselves p. 20

3 The Seven Seas p. 43

4 A Most Serene Community p. 69

5 The Art of Medicine and the Idea of Public Health p. 96

6 Venetians Invented Consumerism p. 123

7 Venice Changes Money, Banks, Profit, and Brings Us Capitalism p. 163

8 The Written Word p. 183

9 The Venetian Way of Life: Leisure Activities p. 209.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Athenaeum copy: Weiner fund bookplate.

ISBN:

1643135384

9781643135380

OCLC:

1142325078