Our economic thinking – about consumption, capital, and profit – originates from the 19th and 20th centuries and has become obsolete. As historian Annette Kehnel vividly illustrates with engaging examples, a look at the pre-modern history of humanity reveals inspirations for our future beyond the pursuit of profit and self-interest. Renaissance architects who practiced building material recycling, crowdfunding for the bridge in Avignon, sustainable fishing at Lake Constance, second-hand markets in Paris, and repair trades in Frankfurt at a time when a circular economy was a matter of course. Sharing, exchanging, and acting sustainably: a journey into our past that inspires a desire for change. Sharing, exchanging, gifting, and recycling – we could do things differently before – a history that ignites a desire for transformation! This book opens our eyes to a future that is suitable for our grandchildren, a future we have all experienced before! (Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen) Awarded the NDR Non-Fiction Book Prize.