Why read The Familiarity of Strangers?

Book cover of The Familiarity of Strangers: The Sephardic Diaspora, Livorno, and Cross-Cultural Trade in the Early Modern Period

Book description

Taking a new approach to the study of cross-cultural trade, this book blends archival research with historical narrative and economic analysis to understand how the Sephardic Jews of Livorno, Tuscany, traded in regions near and far in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Francesca Trivellato tests assumptions about ethnic and religious…

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European history

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Familiarity of Strangers as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Laura Jarnagin (Laura Jarnagin Pang)

Author

I especially admire this book because it shows how diversity is key to strong, successful networking. The central message here: even way back in the 17th century, “strangers” half a world away from each other could be more valuable and trustworthy partners in transnational business than close relatives.

Networked Hindus, Sephardic Jews, and Portuguese Catholics trading coral and diamonds populate these pages. Already regarded as a gem of a work.

From Laura's list on histories of merchant networks: messy, diverse, transnational, and transcultural.