This is the first English translation of Benedetto Cotrugli's The Book of the Art of Trade a
lively account of the life of a Mediterranean merchant in the Early Renaissance written in
1458. The book is an impassioned defense of the legitimacy of mercantile practices and
includes the first scholarly mention of double-entry bookkeeping. Its four parts focus
respectively on trading techniques from accounting to insurance the religion of the merchant
his public life and family matters. Originally handwritten the book was printed in 1573 in
Venice in an abridged and revised version. This new translation makes reference to the new
critical edition based on an earlier manuscript that has only recently been discovered.With
scholarly essays placing Cotrugli's work into historical context and highlighting key themes
this volume is an important contribution to our understanding of the origins of management and
trade practices.
