I've reposted this a few times, but it's worth repeating: Graeber, the author of "Debt: the first 5000 years", lies extensively about easily verifiable facts. Here, for example, is Graeber on Apple Computers:
> Apple Computers is a famous example: it was founded by (mostly Republican) computer engineers who broke from IBM in Silicon Valley in the 1980s, forming little democratic circles of twenty to forty people with their laptops in each other's garages.
Someone who's willing to say something like that has blown their credentials in my book, especially when it comes to economics, which is an ideologically touchy field already. Here's a further, somewhat ranty discussion by Brad Delong, a well-respected left-wing economist: http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2013/04/david-graeber-april-fo...
I noticed that when I was reading and kind of went "huh?". It's simultaneously a strange error and one which would be easy to avoid, so I can see why you say he lies. It also worries me that if the pattern were to repeat on other parts of the book that I don't have any knowledge about, I wouldn't recognize them off hand. It's far from ideal.
On the other hand, I think the book is full of good analysis, the overall narrative is compelling. I don't think it really warrants treatment as a textbook, more as any other mass market non-fiction...subject to factual scrutiny, but worthy of intellectual engagement as well. he cites enough true things and gives enough examples that the point would stand alone if the factual errors named were simply removed.
Now, I don't condone lying, and I certainly am not pleased to see that post you linked. I am also sufficiently interested with the philosophical content of the book that I still recommend it, though with a slightly tempered sense of enthusiasm...sigh.
> Should be noted, on the subject of easily verifiable facts, that DeLong is not a leftist.
Are you trying to make some subtle distinction between "leftist" and "left-wing", or are you claiming DeLong doesn't even qualify as a "left-wing economist"?
I don't see anything in the page you linked that would qualify him as a "left-wing economist". Neither supporting an openly capitalist political party nor providing theoretical underpinnings for financial deregulation qualify as "leftism".
> Apple Computers is a famous example: it was founded by (mostly Republican) computer engineers who broke from IBM in Silicon Valley in the 1980s, forming little democratic circles of twenty to forty people with their laptops in each other's garages.
Someone who's willing to say something like that has blown their credentials in my book, especially when it comes to economics, which is an ideologically touchy field already. Here's a further, somewhat ranty discussion by Brad Delong, a well-respected left-wing economist: http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2013/04/david-graeber-april-fo...