The Fabric of Civilization
Virginia Postrel
In The Fabric of Civilization, Postrel traces the history of textile development back to its earliest roots. As readers will discover, fabric and cloth have not only changed the world but when they have been altered or improved, the world has also changed with them. Fabric touches our lives in so many ways. It might be via the garments we wear or the trade links and technological inventions they helped to develop. Even though we often take it for granted, there is no way to imagine our society without it.
In this fascinating, well-written, and researched work, Postrel examines how fibers were first used with the development of thread, and how that lead to the development of different types of cloth and the dyes that make them attractive. She also traces the role of traders who opened up routes for the exchange and dissemination of ideas that resulted in new technologies worldwide. I found her section on current and future textile development especially interesting. With work going on to improve textiles and their performance, we will undoubtedly see more innovations in the future that could change how we use fabric. Anyone interested in the untold story of cloth will no doubt find this book both interesting and educational.
This review was written by me originally for City Book Review.
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