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Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World
Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World | Virginia Postrel
19 posts | 6 read | 6 to read
From Paleolithic flax to 3D knitting, explore the global history of textiles and the world they weave together in this enthralling and educational guide.The story of humanity is the story of textiles -- as old as civilization itself. Since the first thread was spun, the need for textiles has driven technology, business, politics, and culture.In The Fabric of Civilization, Virginia Postrel synthesizes groundbreaking research from archaeology, economics, and science to reveal a surprising history. From Minoans exporting wool colored with precious purple dye to Egypt, to Romans arrayed in costly Chinese silk, the cloth trade paved the crossroads of the ancient world. Textiles funded the Renaissance and the Mughal Empire; they gave us banks and bookkeeping, Michelangelo's David and the Taj Mahal. The cloth business spread the alphabet and arithmetic, propelled chemical research, and taught people to think in binary code.Assiduously researched and deftly narrated, The Fabric of Civilization tells the story of the world's most influential commodity.
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Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

There's just something wonderful about a non-fiction book where the writer is passionate about the subject matter, wants to make sure everybody understands just how awesome it is, and can write in an engaging manner.
Every chapter in this book could spawn several books of its own. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? This is a relatively short work (250 pages plus glossary and notes) so you do get a sense of speed-running through the history of human civilization, plucking out times and places as they relate to the topic under discussion.
And yet so much is crammed in!
Chapter structure discusses the history of various elements of fabric production (as well as trading and consumption) and alongside it, the leaps and bounds made for human civilization by the manufacturing techniques, technology and social infrastructure such material production inspired.
8mo
Robotswithpersonality 3/? I was as fascinated by the future of fabric, the windows into where design and manufacturing may go next, as I was by the details of its past I previously had no clue about.
As much engineering and invention, as much science, as history (not all of it pretty, of course).
8mo
Robotswithpersonality 4/? I always love hearing about those moments where the sharing of knowledge (maybe previously hoarded or rediscovered or developed and open source) / knowledge transmission (part of a long tradition that miraculously survived to present day) is crucial for the future of crafts and technology.
We need that message out there.
8mo
Robotswithpersonality 5/5 Cons?
I'm biased to plant-based fibres, I can't get too ecstatic about petroleum-based polymers and microfibers given our current understanding of the environmental costs.
Bit of a crime that all the photos and image reproductions are black and white.
Disgusting details of reconstructing the manufacturing process of the original Tyrian purple. Poor murex!
⚠️animal death, slavery, suicide
8mo
8 likes4 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
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Itsy Bitsy Helicopters!🚁

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Robotswithpersonality
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Crafty Fuggers. 😉

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Robotswithpersonality
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The history of dyes: fuck around and find out! 🤷🏼‍♂️😆

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Robotswithpersonality
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Currently reading colour way just struck me.
Book cover designers: "well you can't go wrong with a blue background..."??

julesG 💙 8mo
8 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
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Okay, who else thought Sherwood Forest was a fictional location from the legend of Robin Hood?
Don't be shy, we can all be newly informed doofuses together. 🤦🏼‍♂️

Bren912 Me! 8mo
7 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
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Fucking NIFTY!
The physical manufacturing history of computer hardware and software technology is officially going on my 'find books to read more about it' list.

julesG The more you post about this book the further up on my #MountTBR it climbs. 8mo
Robotswithpersonality @julesG 😁 I don't know if that makes me a good influence or a bad one, but I'm relishing it either way. 8mo
7 likes2 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
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What's even more fun than English onomatopoeia? Finding out about onomatopoeia in languages I don't speak.
"bistanclac"
Delightful. ???♥️

Dilara Well, I learnt something today! 😁 8mo
9 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
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Knowledge sharing gives me the warm fuzzies. 🥰

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Robotswithpersonality
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I am in awe. 🙇🏼‍♂️

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Robotswithpersonality
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Espionage and assassinations (in silk production), oh my! 🫣

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Robotswithpersonality
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Don't see enough of THAT in history. ♀️💪🏻💵

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Robotswithpersonality
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Today, in things I did NOT know. 🤔😏

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Deifio
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This came in the mail today! Can't wait to dig into the history of fabric and how textile creation influenced us in so many ways.

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CampbellTaraL
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Pickpick

Okay, everyone talks about agriculture and economic systems as big drivers of advancing civilization. Turns out that we have collectively forgotten the biggest influence dating well before "civilized" existence: Textiles.

There are so many things covered in this book throughout the ages that my short blurb just won't cut it. You'll give your jeans & t-shirt a respectful not by the end. Some parts get dry and technical but still worth reading.

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shanaqui
Pickpick

Overall pretty fascinating! I'm not a visual thinker at all (total aphantasia, actually) so I couldn't follow the descriptions of how machines work, but it's interesting to approach fabric as a technology and dig into it as such.

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shanaqui

One thing that is kind of bothering me is the... apologism? Like she defends the low-paid status of women who spun thread because it would be cost-prohibitive to pay them more? And she's very much automatically on the side of the middlemen who sold cloth for others, saying they were unfairly treated by people who didn't know the worth of what they did? It hits weirdly for me.

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shanaqui

This is super fascinating so far, though I couldn't visualise things well enough to follow the bit about how weaving works!

Clare-Dragonfly This sounds really interesting! 3y
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KimHM
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This is one of the most fascinating books I‘ve ever read. 📚💚📚❤️📚💙📚💚📚❤️📚💙📚💚📚

#poetrymatters #poetrytoday