Every 6 months, I share my notes on all the books I’ve read in the period on RohanRajiv.blog. As part of these notes, I share insights that resonated. The quality and quantity of these insights typically determine the intensity with which I recommend the book.
This wasn’t the case with “Debt” by David Graeber.
There are a few special books that change our perspective by telling us the story of our past. “A Splendid Exchange” and “Guns, Germs, and Steel” do so from the lens of trade and conquest. “The Accidental Superpower” views the past from the lens of changing superpowers. “Sapiens” does so from the lens of human evolution. And, “Debt” does so from the lens of… well.. debt.
With every one of these books, we may not agree with everything the author says. That’s expected when you’re attempting to synthesize thousands of years of human history. But, these books are worth reading because understanding what came before us helps put into context what we’re experiencing today.
And, every once in a while, they also helps provide clues about what might lie ahead. History doesn’t repeat but it often rhymes.
Debt is a special book thanks to the audacity of what it attempts and the elegance with which it delivers it.
