The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World
Reviews (65)
The Story of Textiles is the Story of Mankind
This book is nothing short of a masterpiece. It combines the analytical mindset of the economic historian with the humanist sensibilities of the art historian, and the social sensitivity of the sociologist. There is not one corner of the human experience left untouched by Virginia Postrel's tour of the fibers, threads, cloth, and dye that go into making textiles, and the complex patterns of global trade that have sprung up to meet the demand for them. Above all, Postrel puts on display our creative impulses, our ceaseless quest to refine and innovate, and the universal human desire, even in the depths of historic poverty, for more than mere survival. From craftmanship to mathematics to computation, Postrel's prose makes difficult topics accessible and accessible topics extra enjoyable. This book will challenge you but it will also provide a short, fun read. Highly recommended.
An antidote to textile Amnesia
This was not the book I expected, but I loved it all the same. I had wondered how it was that textiles evolved--how we went from creatures covering--and adorning--our bodies with animal skins to beings who wove our garments from growing things. Instead, I was treated to a carefully-constructed argument, meticulously researched across human history and with references to a great variety of cultures, about how our ancestors--and even now our peers--attempts to improve those fabrics that adorn us influenced other technologies and so advanced civilization. Postrel starts with the various components of converting plant fiber into human clothing: carding and spinning, weaving, and dyeing, and then finally to commerce and innovation. The stuff can get technical at times--during the writing, she set up a loom in her office so as to experience the process of weaving--but it all serves her argument. It was a process of millennia to improve from the time-consuming process of the first woven garments to the abundance of clothing cluttering our closets today. "We suffer," Postrel observes in her Afterword, "textile amnesia because we enjoy textile abundance." Indeed. When I was moving last month from an apartment to a house and sorting through my closet, taking the unneeded garments to Goodwill where I saw a superabundance of donations. And that just on one day. At one location. In one city. In this the first book to arrive at my new house, I reflected back on what I saw and wondered how many hours of labor it would have taken to craft those garments at different stages in human history. Textile technology has evolved since humans first realized they could spin fibers from growing things into clothing. In this book, Virginia Postrel tells that story. Well worth your time.
Includes a lot of technical detail and history
Even with several advanced degrees, this is complex. As the author suggests, unless you weave, you will not be able to understand many of the details about the techniques described. Similarly, advanced chemistry is helpful. A friend with a PHD in agronomy provided the attitude needed to fully appreciate the ideas about plant research. An MBA is useful for understanding the financial discussions. Nevertheless, the book is a wonderful collection of information, ideas, and history which I've never seen before. The only link that was missing is mention of the spice trade which is usually mentioned as one of the prime ingredients of trade over the last several thousand years.
Fascinating Book
This is a highly readable history of the most widely used fibers (linen, wool, cotton, silk), production processes, & economics going back to their beginning (including Neanderthal spinning). I have studied textile production and this is a one of the more informative books I have encountered.
An absorbing, fast-paced account of the technology that made humans what we are
Humans have co-evolved with our textiles more than with any other technology. The very first computers were looms! So the story of discovering fibers, learning to spin and weave and dye them, figuring out (two centuries before the modern computer) how to create digital algorithms to mass produce them, inventing synthetic materials with all kinds of versatile properties, and now turning 3D knitting into a tool that will rival if not surpass 3D printing--it's hard to imagine a better way to tell the story of 6,000 years of human history. In this book, the author more than rises to the challenge of explaining the many textile breakthroughs which made today's society and economy possible, and she weaves in (pun intended) captivating portraits of people and places ancient and modern. This is technology history at its best, the kind which left me feeling not only better informed about the world but embarrassed to have taken so much astonishing ingenuity for granted. The book gallops along at a fast clip and the writing is clear and vivacious. It made me see everyday life in a new light. Not to be missed.
The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World is a an amazing book!
Virginia Postrel has not only articulated, but documented and elaborated on what all modern weavers (and spinners) feel every time they sit at the loom — that we are joining predecessors from thousands of years of textile production. This isn’t woman’s work or man’s work, it’s the product of human beings evolving and learning and creating new systems whose development continues to this day. Any fabric or textile lover — knitter, fashionista, hand worker, quilter, weaver, spinner-- will love this book as will most students of prehistory, history, and archeology.
Informative, perhaps a little more than I expected.
I am a seamstress and a knitter and have a history of textile in my family history, having relatives from UK with the last name of Mercer (meaning a merchant of textiles), so I was excited and curious to see what this book was all about. It certainly was informative on textiles in great detail. I loved the history of the weaving and manufacturing of thread and spinning of it. All very festinating. But some later information past the story of spinning and making of the threads used in weaving, became tedious to me and I skipped ahead several times. So for that reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 5. I thought she should have spent more time talking about the silk roads. I. have another book called. The Silk Road, a history of the world. So I read a festinating account of the silk roads, which would have been a great addition to this book at the beginning, especially for anyone who hasn't read the afore mentioned book. All subject to individual taste in reading, of course, as some others may not skip any part and read every page. Just saying....
New take on the history of civilization
I had often suspected that there was an undercurrent story to Western Civilization since about 500BCE, which we had not been told. Here it is! As the author notes, from our birth until after our death, fabric and textiles are a major part of our lives. As you read this, you are likely wearing, or are enveloped in (or both!) textiles. And the true story of textiles in Western Civilization is that, for the middleman (or middlewoman) there was incredible financial profit to be realized. The wealth that spawned the modern world was in large part derived directly from the commerce of textiles, and some of our Wall Street banks are based in this profit. It changes our entire understanding of the last 500 years of cultural development.
Important book, important subject
I haven't read a book in a long time that opened my eyes to so many things. My husband gave it to me for Christmas because of my interest in textiles and my hobbies of garment sewing and quilting. Ms. Postrel opens the whole world to you in this book. Yes, there are a lot of footnotes, but they are at the end and don't interfere in your reading. It is very descriptive, giving more information than some people want. I read through it anyway. It is well written and easy to read. Don't let the reviews that say it is "too scholarly" turn you off.
Excellent work
I heard Virginia Postrel on a podcast and was curious, so I got the book. I'm glad I did. It's an eye opening book, particularly regarding how much time it took our ancestors to clothe themselves. I think this should be rereading for all politicians, all college students, and all humanities professors. Postrel's comment about "textile amnesia" was spot on. I highly recommend this book.
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