Seven Cheap Things Part 1

Eric Vilmer

9/29/20

Professor Simpson

        History of the World in Seven Cheap Things Chapter 1-4

Chapter 1 in “A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things” discusses cheap nature. On page 47

it is stated that “nature is not a thing, but a way of organizing.” The system in which we live 

categorizes nature as something that is outside of the world of humans. We as humans live in “society,"

 

and society is on the outskirts of nature. It is separate from us. Nature had to be put to work. Columbus

came to the Caribbean and wanted to find a way to make money. Trade was not profitable so Columbus

utilized his natural surroundings. It was not just white men though that had to utilize nature. There were

other racial groups using the spaces to create cheap nature. 

Chapter 2 titled “Cheap Money,” goes into how capitalism came to be. The chapter goes into how

 society created a system ran by money and how money changes over time. Chapter 2 goes into how our

 modern day society was formed and why bankers and government needed each other and how the

 military began being used for profit. Chapter 3 titled “Cheap Work” gets into details that expand more

 upon “cheap money.”

Slavery was an important part of society for cheap labor. It was stated that Indigenous People were

 not part of society but if they worked in the labor force they could become part of it. What is

fascinating is how Medieval Europe still depended on nature as a way of managing the space for 

profit. Nature is a place to extract resources from to then create a profit.

 

“Cheap Care,” the fourth chapter in the book discusses labor and how we divide race and gender 

roles in the workforce. This chapter also discusses how agriculture begins to play a role in the world.

The term “care” is not necessarily that of medical but what we as society care for. As society shifted it 

seemed people began to care for their elders and less for their offspring.