Frank Trentmann

Frank Trentmann is a professor of history at Birkbeck College, University of London. He is the author of Empire of Things: How We Became a World of Consumers, from the Fifteenth Century to the Twenty-First.

Library of Congress / Corbis / VCG / …

How Humans Became 'Consumers': A History

Until the 19th century, hardly anyone recognized the vital role everyday buyers play in the world economy.
- Frank Trentmann
- November 28, 2016
Ali Hashisho / Reuters

Those Wasteful Europeans

Despite their stereotypical excess, Americans throw out less than many people from more minimalist cultures.
- Frank Trentmann
- March 29, 2016