Empire of Things

How We Became a World of Consumers, from the Fifteenth Century to the Twenty-First

By: Frank Trentmann

Narrated by: Mark Meadows

Length: 33 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

What we consume has become the defining feature of our lives: our economies live or die by spending, we are treated more as consumers than workers and even public services are presented to us as products in a supermarket.

In this monumental study, acclaimed historian Frank Trentmann unfolds the extraordinary history that has shaped our material world, from late Ming China, Renaissance Italy and the British Empire to the present. Astonishingly wide ranging and richly detailed, Empire of Things explores how we have come to live with so much more, how this changed the course of history and the global challenges we face as a result.

Frank Trentmann is a professor of history at Birkbeck College, University of London, and directed the £5 million Cultures of Consumption research programme. His last book, Free Trade Nation, won the Whitfield Prize for outstanding historical scholarship and achievement from the Royal Historical Society. He was educated at Hamburg University, the LSE and Harvard, where he received his PhD. In 2014 he was Moore Distinguished Fellow at Caltech.

©2016 Frank Trentmann (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

Critic reviews

" Empire of Things is a masterpiece of historical research... a delight to read...this book consistently entertains while it informs. In contrast to so many historians, Trentmann has the ability to write for the multitude without compromising on intellectual rigour." ( The Times)

" Empire of Things is something to behold; a compelling account of consumerism that revels in its staggering breadth and depth. Frank Trentmann has written a necessary and important book about one of the defining characteristics of our times." (Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana, winner of the Whitbread Prize; and A World on Fire)

" Empire of Things is an extraordinary, Braudelian achievement. It is impossible to imagine that any one person would be able to do a better job than Frank Trentmann." (John Brewer, author of The Pleasures of the Imagination, winner of the Wolfson History Prize)

An exhaustive attempt to get the story right

Ultimately a story absent key chapters such as the rise of Spain, Portugal and the that ultimate consumer product money, or in this case gold, silver and spices.It's a story told from the myopic Anglo American academic view that just gets it all wrong.Perhaps because we have become a shadow financial capitalist empire he could not see the forest for the trees.

truly informative

What made the experience of listening to Empire of Things the most enjoyable?

Technically, no glitches, smooth audio and comfortable tone of voice that did not put me to slep!

Who was your favorite character and why?

not appicable

Have you listened to any of Mark Meadows’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

if possible, definitely...alas, I have a job, lol.

Any additional comments?

These types of books, on society, economics and even politics and power, are not read enough. I highly recommend that our citizenry start learning about what not only makes our world turn, but what makes is come to a screeching halt. You can start with this book.

It's not a nail-biter, but worthy of listening

The entire world needs to listen to this as I feel that it is a much needed wake-up call to the unsustainable pace we all are a part of. If you have ever exchanged money or bartered for a product or service, then you need to listen to this.

The unnecessary length and the lack of solutions to the mess described.

The unnecessary length and the lack of solutions to the mess described. In a book this long there are good bits of information, but you need to be patient to find them.

Love it

Love the book. Comes through as very well researched and written. Would have loved to read more about the developing world consumption trends. That said, it still offers an interesting glimpse.

good info but British drabby

so like my title said... lots of info but at a certain point reads and feels like an audible text book... kind of a struggle to finish... but I finished it though so... I'd recommend for the info. but it is a bit long and a bit much.