Fabulous fabric

The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World was mired on my endless to-read list until the author Virginia Postrel gave a presentation via Zoom to the Dallas Area Fiber Artists. Such a enthusiastic and entertaining presentation that I immediately ordered the book and proceeded to read it. And then to rave about and recommend it to everyone I could think of.

You needn't be a sewer or someone who works with textiles in any way to appreciate and enjoy this book. You need only be a curious reader for the fascinating lore and surprising historical connections to keep you turning the pages. And to keep you turning to your nearest and dearest, asking “did you know that...?” Such as, did you know that the word “textile” comes from the same Indo-European root — teks — as “technology?” Because, as Postrel explains, “textiles are such an old technology that we rarely think about them.”

In seven chapters on Fiber, Thread, Cloth, Dye, Traders, Consumers, and Innovators, Postrel takes us through time and around the globe, showing us how the need for and the desire for and the making of textiles affected diverse societies and contributed to our modern world. Textiles played key roles in Italian banking in the Renaissance, in the Industrial Revolution, in the development of modern chemistry, in computer programming. And within all these broad categories are many individual narratives of people, some famous, some unknown, who bring life and scale to each chapter.

I am in awe of the extensive research Postrel did and even more in awe of how she turned a work of non-fiction into great storytelling. As I said, she is also a compelling speaker, so I suggest you go to her YouTube channel and let her tell you about the book herself.