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Rubbish Theory

Rubbish Theory

Michael Thompson

(2017)

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Book Details

Abstract

Rubbish is something we ignore. By definition we discard it, from our lives and our minds, and it remains outside the concerns of conventional economics. However, this book explores the dynamics through which rubbish can re-enter circulation as a prized commodity, in many cases far exceeding its original value. Antiques, vintage cars and period homes, after being discarded as valueless, can, even after many years, become priceless.

First published in 1979, Rubbish Theory has become foundational in its field. Today, it is as relevant as ever. This edition includes a new afterword revealing how the consequences of our compulsion to discard are far from inevitable, and going on to explore how we can transform our troublesome wastes into valuable resources.

'Witty and wide-ranging scholarly scholarly study ... a fascinating contribution to cultural theory'
The Guardian
'Original, insightful, and entertaining'
Ian Stewart, author of Seventeen Equations that Changed the World (Profile Books, 2012)
'A remarkably original and creative book, far ahead of its time. Thompson's analysis is not only a major contribution to the anthropological theorising of waste and value, but it is also highly relevant for the contemporary dilemmas of growth and environmental destruction'
Thomas Hylland Eriksen, author of Overheating (Pluto, 2016)
'Highly recommended'
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Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Cover Cover
Contents v
Foreword - Joshua O. Reno vi
Preface xiv
Introduction to the New Edition 1
1. Filth in the Way 19
2. Stevengraphs - Yesterday's Kitsch 30
3. Rat-Infested Slum or Glorious Heritage? 49
4. From Things to Ideas 70
5. A Dynamic Theory of Rubbish 88
6. Art and the Ends of Economic Activity 112
7. Monster Conservation 138
8. The Geometry of Credibility 158
9. The Geometry of Confidence 186
10. The Needle's Eye 216
Afterword to the Second Edition (Co-authored by M. Bruce Beck 229
Notes 253
Index 273