In 70 CE; the Jews were an agrarian and illiterate people living mostly in the Land of Israel and Mesopotamia. By 1492 the Jewish people had become a small group of literate urbanites specializing in crafts; trade; moneylending; and medicine in hundreds of places across the Old World; from Seville to Mangalore. What caused this radical change? The Chosen Few presents a new answer to this question by applying the lens of economic analysis to the key facts of fifteen formative centuries of Jewish history. Maristella Botticini and Zvi Eckstein offer a powerful new explanation of one of the most significant transformations in Jewish history while also providing fresh insights into the growing debate about the social and economic impact of religion.
#71906 in Books 2012-03-25Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.75 x 6.00 x 1.25l; .80 #File Name: 0691154414408 pages
Review
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Scholarly insight into a very complex cultureBy Albert L BrewsterI was called to Kabul Afghanistan last August 2012 in response to the Green on Blue murders of 3 of our Border Management Task Force contractors. After 26 years in the military I've seen plenty of war torn countries but this trip to Afghanistan sent me on a mission to better understand what was obviously an extraordinarily complex and mutifaceted culture. To do this I selected both this excellent history by Thomas Barfield and the more contemporary view of Ehsan M. Entezar (also reviewed) . For me it took both books; each unique in their perspective; to capture a satisfactory understanding of the ethnic; religious; tribal and political forces at work in Afghanistan. By it self Barfield provides a superb history. Entezar provides very practical insight into every day Afghan culture and is the minimum must read for the western visitor. Together; these two books will serve you well.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Barfield brings an extremely useful combination of skills to bear on his explanation of ...By Eustace Bamffylde-GriggsBarfield brings an extremely useful combination of skills to bear on his explanation of Afghanistan. In his concise account of Afghani history over the last few centuries he draws on the ability of the social anthropologist to give us the whys of belief; behaviour and process that help us understand the whats of events. He also has the refreshing ability to draw on the whole range of sources in these explanations; including specifically Islamic analyses. One of the best things about this book is the way it avoids the convenient-thinking trap of "eternal Afghanistan": the author can draw sharp distinctions between elements of vigorous continuity in Afghani history and culture; and elements of dramatic and irreversible change. For students of Afghanistan as The Graveyard Of Imperial Ambition; I would rank this as one of the two most useful books to read; the other being Gen. Skeen's 1932 "Lessons In Imperial Rule"; a cheerfully brisk booots-on-the-ground military analysis of why military invaders were inevitably bound for grief.11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Balanced; Well Presented; and Well WrittenBy Keith BoyeaAfghanistan is a notoriously complex country with a notoriously complex history. Barfield has done a fantastic job of presenting a balanced overview of its history. At times; my head spun as I tried to keep the long cast of characters straight; but when I finished I felt like I had a better grasp on Afghanistan than when I started.If I had to make a light criticism; I would say that the first half of the book is a bit tougher to read because it deals in demographics and geography. It reminded me a bit of of the early sections of Louis Dupree's book; Afghanistan.The book's biggest strength is the history of Afghanistan since 1901. (I felt like it was the most relevant part to understanding the US effort there.) Since 1901; every Afghan leader has been either killed or exiled. I thought that was a striking piece of information given the US's contentious relationship with President Karzai.I give the book five starts and a must read for anyone interested in the US effort in Afghanistan. For people who follow Afghanistan very closely; some of it will be a review; but I suspect Afghan watchers of all levels of expertise will benefit from reading this book.
