"The idea of a free gift economy has become important in the movement for alternative economics, however the connection with women and especially with mothers has not been widely understood. The conference "The Maternal Roots of the Gift Economy," held in Rome in 2015, brought together women and...

"Mainstream economics offers a perspective on the gift which is constructed around exchange, axioms of self-interest, instrumental rationality and utility-maximisation - concepts that predominate within conventional forms of economic analysis. Recognising the gift as an example of social...

Cover -- Half Title -- Series Information -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of contents -- About the editors -- Contributors -- Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1 Introduction to interest and debt -- Introduction -- The interest-bearing debt: conceptual...

"With the spread of interest-based transactions, major problems such as inequality, poverty and debt-based slavery have emerged. Those who practiced professions such as usury have, despite the negative connotations attributed to them, contributed extensively to the construction of the...