Markets: From Barter to Bar Codes (First Books - Examining the Past)

Tells the stories of markets all over the world, from ancient times to the present day

Grade 4-6?The importance of markets within the worldwide economic system is traced throughout history. Each chapter follows the same format. Readers are assigned a role (a slave, a pirate, an employee of a wealthy merchant, a rural shopkeeper, etc.) and then placed in a particular market scenario. A hand-drawn map and a heading that lists the time and place helps to fill in the details. The chapters progress from the simple bartering or trading of goods and services, to the Sumerians writing receipts on clay tablets, the Roman development of metal coinage, an 11th-century French trade fair, the European search for spice routes, and eventually to the warehouse stores of today. The dark side of trading is not ignored; sections focus on thieves and piracy as well as the slave market. The "you are there" approach makes the book livelier than a lot of series nonfiction, but it can be confusing. Since the roles are constantly changing, it's sometimes difficult to remember each character's point of view. The book's design is nonintimidating. Information is presented in digestible bites, along with color photographs, reproductions, and colorful drawings. An unusual approach to the topic.?Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.