In The Gift of Thanks, Margaret Visser continues her exploration of the cultural implications of common objects and ordinary behaviour. The simple habit of saying “thank you,” and indeed the entire notion of gratitude itself, becomes a key to understanding many of the basic assumptions, preferences and needs underlying Western culture. Taking into consideration cultural history; questions of politics and rights; questions of ideas of freedom and equality; and questions of the newly awakened scientific interest in the emotions, Visser specifically addresses the questions: What does “gratitude” actually mean? Where did the notion come from (many languages have no specific word for it)? What is its history? And why is our society so invested in its operations? Like all of Visser’s celebrated work, The Gift of Thanks is a fascinating look at our everyday behaviour—from tipping a waiter after a meal to wrapping a present for a friend.

MARGARET VISSER is an award-winning author and essayist. Her previous five books, all bestsellers, have met with international acclaim. Much Depends On Dinner won the Glenfiddich Prize for Food Book of the Year and was named one of the best books of the year by Publishers Weekly and The New York Times. The Rituals Of Dinner won the IACP Literary Food Writing Award and the Jane Grigson Award, and was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her most recent book, The Geometry of Love, also the subject of a prize-winning documentary film, was a finalist for the Charles Taylor Prize. A professor of classics at York University for 18 years, she now devotes her time to research and writing. Visser lives in Toronto, Paris and the south of France. Visit her online at www.margaretvisser.com.

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