I thought this chapter was really interesting due to the fact that it was about commerce, culture, and how the two integrated into society. Strayer mentions that the economic importance of trade impacted the daily lives of people and altered consumption. He uses the example of West Africans who imported salt which was necessary for many things but most especially preserving their food. I thought this was a good example because it clearly depicts the importance of not only trade (to receiving that particular product), but also how people's daily lives were shifted. Strayer states, "Trade diminished the economic self-sufficient of local societies, even as it altered the structure of those societies as well" (282). As trade essentially "opened the gates" to a more community-based society, it drove economic growth and increased innovation of people (as still continues to do so today!). Strayer also mentions how trade had the capacity to transform political life as it motivated the creation of states in different parts of the world. The chapter mentions the Silk Roads: Exchange across Eurasia. (The term "Silk Road" derived from the trading of silk) "Products of the forest and of semi-arid northern grasslands known as steppes - such as hides, furs, livestock, wool, and amber - were exchanged for the agricultural products and manufactured goods of adjacent civilizations" (284). The Silk Road trading network was most efficient and prosperous when "large and powerful states provided security for merchants and travelers" (284). Strayer provides a snapshot of economic exchange along the Silk Roads including China - silk, bamboo, gunpowder, and paper; forest lands of Siberia and grasslands of Central Asia - furs, amber, livestock, and horses; India - cotton textiles, spices, and pepper; Middle East - dates, nuts, and swords; Mediterranean basin - gold coins, olive oil, and perfume. While the Silk Road network had many positive results, it also affected the lives of many ordinary farmers. The widespread of diseases also spread as it affected the Roman Empire and Han dynasty China (since Silk Roads promoted contact across all of Eurasia). Smallpox and measles affected populations. Religion-wise, Buddhism also spread along the Silk Roads due to Sogdians dominating the Road for a long time as their language became the medium of communication. Furthermore, Sogdians practiced Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Manichaeism. The rest of the chapter mentions Sea Roads and how goods, as well as Indian culture, was spread across Southeast Asia. Strayer mentions how both the Silk Roads and the Sand Roads linked diverse peoples of the Eastern Hemisphere.
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