Devil's Contract:The History of the Faustian Bargain

by: Ed Simon (Author)

Publisher: Melville House

Publication Date: 2024/7/9

Language: English

Print Length: 336 pages

ISBN-10: 1685891047

ISBN-13: 9781685891046

Book Description

"Lively . . . excoriating, eloquent . . . We are all Faustians now." — James Wood, The New YorkerA devilishly fascinating tour of the Faustian bargain through the ages, from brimstone to blues and beyond . . .From ancient times to the mode world, the idea of the Faustian bargain—the exchange of one's soul in retu for untold riches and power—has exerted a magnetic pull upon our collective imaginations.Scholar Ed Simon takes us on a historical tour of the Faustian bargain, from the Bible to blues, and illustrates how the impulse fto sacrifice our principles in exchange for power is present in all kinds of social ills, from colonialism to nuclear warfare, from social media to climate change to AI, and beyond. In doing so, Simon conveys just how much the Faustian bargain shows us about power and evil . . . and ourselves.

About the Author

"Lively . . . excoriating, eloquent . . . We are all Faustians now." — James Wood, The New YorkerA devilishly fascinating tour of the Faustian bargain through the ages, from brimstone to blues and beyond . . .From ancient times to the mode world, the idea of the Faustian bargain—the exchange of one's soul in retu for untold riches and power—has exerted a magnetic pull upon our collective imaginations.Scholar Ed Simon takes us on a historical tour of the Faustian bargain, from the Bible to blues, and illustrates how the impulse fto sacrifice our principles in exchange for power is present in all kinds of social ills, from colonialism to nuclear warfare, from social media to climate change to AI, and beyond. In doing so, Simon conveys just how much the Faustian bargain shows us about power and evil . . . and ourselves.