Virginia Postrel, author of The Fabric of Civilization, joins the show for a wide ranging conversation. We discuss the history of cloths, textiles, and fabrics as detailed in her recent book, and why the history of fabrics is often the same thing as the history of technology. We also discuss dynamic vs static attitudes toward the economy and society, the relationship between textiles and economic development, theories of how and why industrialization occurs, and the ins and outs of kidney donation. It's hard to recap every subject we touch on, but this episode is definitely worth your time.

Suggested reading:

The Fabric of Civilization + references - https://vpostrel.com/the-fabric-of-civilization/references

Here's Looking At You, Kidney - https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/heres-looking-at-you-kidney/

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