Book cover of Slavery and Social Death: A Comparative Study

Book description

Winner of the Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Award, American Sociological Association
Co-Winner of the Ralph J. Bunche Award, American Political Science Association

In a work of prodigious scholarship and enormous breadth, which draws on the tribal, ancient, premodern, and modern worlds, Orlando Patterson discusses the internal dynamics of slavery in…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Slavery and Social Death as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I am blown away by the scope, detail, and rigor of Patterson’s scholarship.

I think it is easy to imagine that slavery is a simple thing, treating a person like property and forcing them to work. But Patterson showed me that slavery has always been an entire system of meaning, ritual, and social dynamics.

I especially appreciate that Patterson demonstrates the ultimate perversity of the delusion that you could master other people.

From William's list on understanding how power works.

If you love Slavery and Social Death...

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