Devils Contract A History of the Faustian Bargain

This is a new book. Condition: Brand New.

"Lively . . . excoriating, eloquent . . . We are all Faustians now." - James Wood, The New Yorker

A devilishly fascinating tour of the Faustian bargain through the ages, from brimstone to blues and beyond, now in paperback . . .

"Lively . . . excoriating, eloquent . . . We are all Faustians now." - James Wood, The New Yorker

A devilishly fascinating tour of the Faustian bargain through the ages, from brimstone to blues and beyond, now in paperback . . .

From ancient times to the modern world, the idea of the Faustian bargain-the exchange of one's soul in return 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 to 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.

Book details and technical specifications

Format: Paperback / softback
ISBN13: 9781685892074
Published: September 2025

Number of pages: 336
Width: 140 mm
Height: 210 mm
Depth: not specified

Publisher: Melville House Publishing