On Civilization, Power, and Knowledge: Selected Writings (Heritage of Sociology Series)

When a Roman man wished to marry, he bargained with the bride's family on the price, and the state had nothing to say about the matter. When he wished to divorce, he called a neighborhood meeting and announced his decision. If an Athenian athlete died in the course of a contest, he was declared the winner by default. If a French courtier wished to rise in social service, he or she needed to cultivate a skill for reading the constantly changing landscape of who was or was not in royal favor. Such data of everyday life fascinated the German historian Norbert Elias (1897-1990), who discusses these and other matters in this anthology of selections from books such as The Civilizing Process and The Society of Individuals. --Gregory McNamee