The Gift
#876 of 2,654 all-time
The Gift
Lewis Hyde
8 people recommended it in 5 threads, 2015–2022.
1 commenter pushed back on it — worth reading the threads.
What people on Hacker News said
He is able to articulate things which are very hard to talk about, like the intersection of economics and artistry, and how the gifting ethos is necessary for any culture to thrive.
Hyde, who published [The Gift] in 1983, helped me understand that gift exchanges were much more important than economists and cultural historians lead us to believe.
The way we exchange gifts at holidays used to be the way small economies worked, or so i recall the book saying. And thinking about a creation or work of art as being a gift to your community is an idea that seems to make a lot of sense to me.
It is not only a powerful deconstruction of the creative process, but it details the history of relationships between gift/craft and acquisition/capital. A valuable read for anyone who has ever wanted to put more into their projects than what is asked or required.
Yes. I have a copy of The Gift, and while I've yet to finish it, I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the dynamics of OSS projects.
Where it comes up
- Books That Changed How I Hear Music 2022 · 4 recommendations
- Ask HN: Books you plan to read in 2020? 2019 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Which book have you re-read recently? 2017 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What is the most mind blowing book you've ever read? 2015 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What are the books that changed the perspective of your life? 2015 · 1 recommendation