Trading Tastes Book Summary

According to Erik Gilbert and Jonathon Reynolds, authors of Trading Tastes: Commodity and Cultural Exchange to 1750, “trade would seem to be a basic human urge” (2). It has existed throughout human history, even before written records and farming. Trade has been a critical part of life for as long as we have known. Up to the present day, trade affects the closest parts of our lives. The clothes we wear, the food we eat, the toys we play with, the tools we use, and several other things we encounter daily are often obtained through the act of trade. Many of the goods we own are obtained from other parts of the world because they are not available where we live. However, as the authors of this book point out, society benefits much more from trade …show more content…
Unlike those in China, the fields in the West African savannahs were not very fertile, but it still had innovations in agriculture. To get their salt, they would trade with pastoralists or collect it from dry basins of lakes. When camels were introduced, trade became much easier. Trips were long but made it possible to transport goods between the North African coast and the West African Savannah. West African states were constantly influencing their foreign trading partners and vice versa. One huge result of this trade was the introduction of Islam to the West African …show more content…
The main points and influences of sugar involved its association with the Atlantic Ocean and its involvement with the creation of the Atlantic plantation system. This commodity was influential in the movement of slaves and servants from Africa and Europe to the Americas to produce sugar. The main points and influences of silk mostly involved the areas of West Africa, East Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. Silk was a status symbol and is tied to the Silk Road, a network of caravan routes from China to the Mediterranean Sea where silk was a major commodity of the trade