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The cover of The Fabric of Civilization

The Fabric of Civilization

Virginia Postrel, 2020

How the work of making fiber, thread, cloth and dye drove farming, chemistry, trade, finance and computing, told through the people and techniques behind the textiles we take for granted.

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8 parts, about 23 minutes to read.

Why read it

  • Argues that textiles shaped farming, machines, chemistry and even computer code, giving cloth a central place in the story of civilization
  • Walks through fiber, thread, cloth, dye, trade, consumers and innovation, showing how each stage forced new tools, records and laws
  • Reveals surprising details, such as cotton's lucky hybrid origin, silk mills before the Industrial Revolution and cloth used as money

Who it is for

  • Readers who like history told through one everyday object
  • People curious about fashion, design or the textile trade
  • Readers interested in how technology and commerce grew together

What the summary covers

  1. Preface2 min
  2. Fiber3 min
  3. Thread3 min
  4. Cloth3 min
  5. Dye3 min
  6. Traders3 min
  7. Consumers3 min
  8. Innovators3 min

Recommended by

  • Barry StraussHistorian at Cornell University
    Ambitious, erudite, and absorbing, The Fabric of Civilization is both an education and a pleasure to read.
  • Elizabeth Wayland BarberAmerican scholar of archaeology and textiles
    Well researched and highly readable, the book is a veritable treat.
  • Matt RidleyBritish science writer
    A fascinating, surprising and beautifully written history of technology, economics, and culture, told through the thread of textiles, humanity's most indispensable artefacts. I loved it.
  • Marc AndreessenCofounder of Andreessen Horowitz
    The story of technology is a story of human ingenuity, and nowhere is this more clear than in the story of textiles: the original technology, going beyond what we commonly think of as 'tech.'
  • Valerie HansenYale historian
    Cleanly written and completely accessible, this book opens up an entirely new world of textiles
  • Deirdre Nansen McCloskeyAmerican economist
    Postrel's brilliant, learned, addictive book tells a story of human ingenuity
  • Stephen L. CarterYale law professor and Bloomberg Opinion columnist
    One of the most extraordinary volumes I have read in years.
  • Jenny Balfour PaulAuthor of Indigo
    This book opens the reader's eyes not only to the textiles that daily surround us but also to the remarkable skills of their makers.
  • Alice SchleinWeaver and author of Network Drafting and The Woven Pixel
    The author actually learned to spin and weave while writing this book, and her explanations and diagrams are spot on.
  • Tien ChiuWeaver, teacher, and author of Master Your Craft
    The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World is one of the most compelling books I've ever read on the history of textiles

About the author

  • Virginia PostrelAmerican journalist and author who writes on commerce, culture, and technology
    • Born in Asheville, North Carolina, and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, a textile town where her father was an engineer of polyester films.
    • Graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton University with a degree in English literature.
    • Edited Reason magazine from July 1989 to January 2000 and founded Reason.com in 1995.
    • Has been a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Forbes.
    • Received the 2011 Bastiat Prize for journalism.
    • Researched The Fabric of Civilization with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and as a guest scholar at the Centre for Textile Research at the University of Copenhagen.
    • Serves on the board of the Southern California Handweavers' Guild and is its president.
    • Spent a year's leave from her Bloomberg column in fall 2018 to write the book.

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