The world of the gift

the long version

In an age dominated by consumerism and government agencies, many people believe that self-interest is the dominant motive in society. Gifts are seen as, at best, irrelevant frills. In The World of the Gift Jacques Godbout and Alain Caille show that, in fact, the gifts is all-pervasive in our society. The authors describe the gift not as an object but as a social connection, perhaps the most important social connection because it creates a sense of obligation to respond in kind. They examine how the gift works today in a broad range of cases such as blood and organ donation; volunteer work; the bonds between friends, couples, and family; Santa Claus; the interaction between performers and their audience; and the relation of the artist to society.