Chapter 7, 8 & 10 Reflection

I was born in 1992. I remember dial-up internet and having to look things up with resources other than the internet. I know what Hollywood Video and Blockbuster was. I know what life was like before amazon. I know that all of these things came to an end shortly after I learned what they were but it’s pretty amazing to me how it doesn’t even phase me that I can order something on amazon, with my phone and receive it in two days if I have a prime membership. Whereas, before there was no way that I could talk on the phone and surf the internet at the same time. I never realized how much of a luxury it is to be able to purchase a good that I need from someone across the world without even knowing their name. It wasn’t always like that and it’s pretty fascinating to read about how trade started. When I buy something I don’t realize that I’m participating in trade because that’s just not how I look at it but it makes sense. We trade labor for money and money for goods. Chapter 7 talks a lot about how trade was a way for civilizations to connect with people. I found this fact to be really sad because I feel that right now we as a society are so consumed with technology and take all measures possible to avoid human contact. Trade was such an asset and still is an asset. Trade was able to affect political life and it also spread different religious ideas. It’s pretty amazing to think of how much was accomplished with such few resources.