The Gift: How the Creative Spirit Transforms the World [Paperback]

“If you want to write, paint, sing, compose, act, or make films, read The Gift.” —from the Introduction by Margaret Atwood

A modern classic cherished by many of the greatest artists of our time and a brilliant, life-changing defense of the value of creative labor.

Drawing on examples from folklore and literature, history and tribal customs, economics and modern copyright law, Lewis Hyde demonstrates how our society—governed by the marketplace—is poorly equipped to determine the worth of artists’ work. He shows us that another way is possible: the alternative economy of the gift, which allows creations and ideas to circulate freely, rather than hoarding them as commodities.

Illuminating and transformative, The Gift is a triumph of originality and insight—an essential book for anyone who has ever given or received a work of art.

“A classic.... If you want to write, paint, sing, compose, act, or make films, read The Gift.” —from the Introduction by Margaret Atwood

“Brilliant.... If you care about art buy this book and let it give itself to you.” —The Boston Globe

“Fascinating and compelling.... Seems to light up everything it touches, including the reader’s mind.” —The New Republic

“Inspiring.... Reckons with the act of creation.... Suggests how to keep art sacred.” —The New York Times Book Review

“In a climate where we know the price of everything and the value of nothing, Lewis Hyde offers us an account of those few, essential aspects of human experience that transcelãM