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Violets for Your Furs

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Sounds suspiciously like Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel, but also quite interesting.

The story told in Fur, Fortune, and Empire could be viewed as a compelling historical case study in why governments must regulate (assuming another such case study is needed after Wall Street’s terrifying shenanigans and BP’s oily behavior). For all its broad geographic and geopolitical scope, the fur trade was essentially what is known today as a “special interest,” accounting in 1833 for less than 2 percent of America’s exports. It was an extractive operation run by plutocrats like Astor who trafficked in a nonessential, luxury product by taking a resource that is seen today, at least, as belonging to society as a whole. But unfortunately Dolin declines to go there.

Comments

  1. JAbelJuly 23, 2010 at 7:33 AM

    Haven't heard of this book before or seen it.Looks Interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  2. NYT PerduJuly 24, 2010 at 4:47 AM

    My dear gintaras, please tell me your title is adapted, you can't possibly be old enough or retro enough to be familiar with "Violets for Your Furs" -- it's almost beyond me!

    ReplyDelete
  3. James FergusonJuly 24, 2010 at 12:22 PM

    I am familiar with the song, which is why I quoted it. I know it from a version Nat Adderley did back in the 60s. It was off his "Work Song" album.

    ReplyDelete
  4. NYT PerduJuly 25, 2010 at 5:22 AM

    Oh well, that's all right then. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. JAbelAugust 15, 2010 at 9:48 AM

    Just noticed that it is in the current HBC flyer and they give it a nice review.

    ReplyDelete
  6. James FergusonAugust 15, 2010 at 12:28 PM

    I wouldn't mind picking up this book myself.

    ReplyDelete
  7. avrdsAugust 15, 2010 at 4:20 PM

    I'd put that one in the list.

    ReplyDelete

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