Product DescriptionBefore there was money, there was debt Every economics textbook says the same thing: Money was invented to replace onerous and complicated barter systems—to relieve ancient people from having to haul their goods to market. The problem with this version of history? There’s not a shred of evidence to support it. Here anthropologist David Graeber presents a stunning reversal of conventional wisdom. He shows that for more than 5,000 years, since the beginnings of the first agrarian empires, humans have used elaborate credit systems to buy and sell goods—that is, long before the invention of coins or cash. It is in this era, Graeber argues, that we also first encounter a society divided into debtors and creditors. Graeber shows that arguments about debt and debt forgiveness have been at the center of political debates from Italy to China, as well as sparking innumerable insurrections. He also brilliantly demonstrates that the language of the ancient works of law and religion (words like “guilt,” “sin,” and “redemption”) derive in large part from ancient debates about debt, and shape even our most basic ideas of right and wrong. We are still fighting these battles today without knowing it. Debt: The First 5,000 Years is a fascinating chronicle of this little known history—as well as how it has defined human history, and what it means for the credit crisis of the present day and the future of our economy.
Product DescriptionHow I Paid Off $50,000 of Debt in 5 Years and How You can Too. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++NOTE: Updated 12/06/09 with Newsletter with on Passive Income Programs to help you Pay Down your Debt Faster and be Ready when Emergencies Happen. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++First let me say It was my own fault for getting in debt in the first place. I was looking for the magic bullet to making big money online. Be it software, the next program launch, training course etc. . . I was happily going along making double payments on my 6 credit cards on time for years, thinking I was improving my credit while making new purchases each month. At the time on the 6 cards I was paying 6%, 11%, 15%, 18%, 18% and 19% give or take a % here or there. Then 911 hit and 2 months later the bottom fell out or should I say up, as in interest rates. My 6% card stayed. The rest went to 17%, 18% 25%, 25% and 29%. I was seeing red and at my wits end trying to figure out what to do. Then one day after I had just sent in a double payment on a 25% card with a $3500 balance. I was looking at my 6% card which had a $5700 balance and it hit me. The first thing I need to do was pay down my 6% card fast so I could use one of those balance transfers checks I kept getting every other day in the mail. For the sake of easy math, my double payments amounted to $400 a month to each card. So I took the $200 extra I was paying on the 5 high % cards and added it to the $400 6% card payment for a total of $1400. I paid the minimum $200 on the 5 high % cards and $1400 on the 6% card for 4 months. Paying down $5600 of my $5700 balance on my 6% card. I then called the 6% card company and told the agent I was interested in doing a balance transfer and wanted to know what the best interest rate I could get. I was hoping for 15% on the $3500 25% card. I almost chocked when the agent said 2% for 6 months or 6% for the life of the loan. I felt my voice tremble as I said I’ll take the 2% for 6 months. Enjoy the Rest Inside. John
I have atleast 4 major credit debts that was in the early 90’s i thought bad debt only remains on your credit for no longer than 7 years its almost over 10 years but they still show up on my credit reports. Is there anything I can go legally to take those off my credit history, Specially now that I am trying to rebuild my credit.
