The Gift

“A classic…. If you want to write, paint, sing, compose, act, or make films, read The Gift.” —from the Introduction by Margaret Atwood

“Brilliant…. If you care about art buy this book and let it give itself to you.” —The Boston Globe

“Fascinating and compelling…. Seems to light up everything it touches, including the reader’s mind.” —The New Republic

“Inspiring…. Reckons with the act of creation…. Suggests how to keep art sacred.” —The New York Times Book Review

“In a climate where we know the price of everything and the value of nothing, Lewis Hyde offers us an account of those few, essential aspects of human experience that transcend commodity…. A manifesto of sorts for anyone who makes art, cares for it and understands that our most precious possessions are not for sale.” —Zadie Smith

“No one who is invested in any kind of art can read The Gift and remain unchanged.” —David Foster Wallace

“Few books are such life-changers as The Gift: epiphany, in sculpted prose.” —Jonathan Lethem

“Brave and startling…. Lewis Hyde is one of the finest essayists of his generation.” —Robert Bly

“Absolutely interesting and original…. An exciting book for anyone interested in the place of creativity in our culture.” —Annie Dillard

“This long-awaited new edition of Lewis Hyde’s groundbreaking and influential study of creativity is a cause for across-the-board celebration.” —Geoff Dyer

“Exhilarating…. Explores its subject in a thoroughly original manner.” —Los Angeles Times

“Intriguing…. An original and provocative critique of capitalist culture.” —The Nation

“The Gift is fascinating on the power of art to take us beyond ourselves…. I would share The Gift not only with anyone grappling with the question of how to balance a creative passion with making a living, anyone interested in life and literature, but also with ‘all thinking humans’ (Lewis’s original intended audience).” —Anita Sethi, The Guardian

“Wise [and] charming…. A glimpse from the realm of necessity into the realm of freedom, it is, like the best gifts, good beyond expectation.” —The Village Voice

“A source of inspiration and affirmation in my artistic practice for over twenty years. It is the best book I have read on what it means to be an artist in today’s economic world. It has shown me why we still use the word gift to describe artistic talent, and that self lessness, not self-expression, lies at the root of all creative acts.” —Bill Viola