To understand business and its political, cultural, and economic
context, it helps to view it historically, yet most business
histories look no further back than the nineteenth century. The
full sweep of business history actually begins much earlier, with
the initial cities of Mesopotamia. In the first book to describe
and explain these origins, Roberts depicts the society of ancient
traders and consumers, tracing the roots of modern business and
underscoring the relationship between early and modern business
practice. Roberts's narrative begins before business, which he
defines as selling to voluntary buyers at a profit. Before
business, he shows, the material conditions and concepts for the
pursuit of profit did not exist, even though trade and
manufacturing took place. The earliest business, he suggests, arose
with the long distance trade of early Mesopotamia, and expanded
into retail, manufacturing and finance in these command economies,
culminating in the Middle Eastern empires. (Part One) But it was
the largely independent rise of business, money, and markets in
classical Greece that produced business much as we know it.
Alexander the Great's conquests and the societies that his
successors created in their kingdoms brought a version of this
system to the old Middle Eastern empires, and beyond. (Part Two) At
Rome this entrepreneurial market system gained important new
features, including business corporations, public contracting, and
even shopping malls. The story concludes with the sharp decline of
business after the 3rd century CE. (Part Three) In each part,
Roberts portrays the major new types of business coming into
existence. He weaves these descriptions into a narrative of how the
prevailing political, economic, and social culture shaped the
nature and importance of business and the status, wealth, and
treatment of business people. Throughout, the discussion indicates
how much (and how little) business has changed, provides a clear
picture of what business actually is, presents a model for
understanding the social impact of business as a whole, and yields
stimulating insights for public policy today.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(1)
