'Few people are more prepared than Tine De Moor to delve in the historical record of the commons, and to help restore the longue durée in our thinking about the commons. Now that the commons, in their old physical formats but also crucially in their new knowledge and digitally enabled formats, are making a return on the world stage, long-term thinking and an acquaintance with how they solved perennial issues is more important than ever. Maintaining sustainable commons over the longer term is crucial to protect our biosphere, and De Moor gives us the tools and historical experience to do so.' Michel Bauwens, Founder, Foundation for Peer-to-Peer Alternatives
'Why, in a world of selfish individuals, does cooperation emerge? The book by Tine De Moor is a challenging response to this main question through a long-period reconstruction of common action in Europe, where common lands, guilds, and communities are the main actors. We discover in the end that we are a little less selfish than we thought and that to be less selfish is, perhaps, in our interest today. An important read!' Paolo Malanima, Magna Græcia University, Italy