A brilliant example of the comparative method, The Gift
presents the first systematic study of the custom--widespread in
primitive societies from ancient Rome to present-day Melanesia--of
exchanging gifts. The gift
is a perfect example of what Mauss calls a total social phenomenon,
since it involves legal, economic, moral, religious, aesthetic, and
other dimensions. He sees the gift
exchange as related to individuals and groups as much as to the
objects themselves, and his analysis calls into question the social
conventions and economic systems that had been taken for granted for
so many years. In a modern translation, introduced by distinguished
anthropologist Mary Douglas, The Gift is essential reading for
students of social anthropology and sociology.
