The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World

Lewis Hyde
3.91
3,110 ratings 476 reviews
“A manifesto of sorts for anyone who makes art [and] cares for it.” —Zadie Smith “The best book I know of for talented but unacknowledged creators. . . . A masterpiece.” —Margaret Atwood “No one who is invested in any kind of art . . . can read The Gift and remain unchanged.” —David Foster Wallace By now a modern classic, The Gift is a brilliantly orchestrated defense of the value of creativity and of its importance in a culture increasingly governed by money and overrun with commodities. This book is even more necessary today than when it first appeared. An illuminating and transformative book, and completely original in its view of the world, The Gift is cherished by artists, writers, musicians, and thinkers. It is in itself a gift to all who discover the classic wisdom found in its pages.
Genres: NonfictionArtPhilosophyWritingEssaysHistoryPoetrySociologyAnthropologyDesign
464 Pages

Community Reviews:

5 star
1142 (37%)
4 star
977 (31%)
3 star
648 (21%)
2 star
261 (8%)
1 star
82 (3%)

Readers also enjoyed

Other books by Lewis Hyde

Lists with this book

Just Kids
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
Bird by Bird
Steal Like an Artist reading list!
14 books • 7 voters
The Teacher Wars: A History of America's Most Embattled Profession
Getting Better: Why Global Development Is Succeeding--And How We Can Improve the World Even More
And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic
Explosive Growth: A Few Things I Learned While Growing To 100 Million Users - And Losing $78 Million
The Art of Startup Fundraising
The Lean Startup
Best Books for Entrepreneurs
67 books • 68 voters
Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers Want
Business Model Generation
The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly?
Best Books Business for Artist
23 books • 3 voters