Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World by Aja Raden Summary
Overview of Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World
In "Stoned," jeweler-scientist Aja Raden reveals how eight precious gems shaped human history. Madonna raved, "Money, power, sexual politics, and jewelry - isn't this what makes the world go 'round?" Discover why Manhattan was bought with glass beads and diamonds aren't actually precious.
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Key takeaways
When a Stone Holds More Power Than a Throne
A single necklace helped destroy the French monarchy. A pearl sparked England's transformation into a global empire. Diamonds-literally compressed carbon, no rarer than pencil lead-convinced generations they were essential symbols of eternal love. What if the glittering objects we've fought wars over, built empires around, and bankrupted ourselves to possess are valuable only because we've agreed they are? The story of jewelry isn't really about stones at all. It's about the extraordinary power of human desire to reshape reality itself, turning worthless rocks into instruments of revolution, symbols of divinity, and currency of empires. Throughout history, our obsession with shiny objects has launched invasions, toppled governments, and fundamentally altered the global balance of power-not because these objects possessed inherent magic, but because we believed they did.
The Diamond Illusion: How Scarcity Was Manufactured
Green Fire: The Emerald's Impossible Existence
The Necklace Affair: How Jewels Destroyed a Queen
Pearls, Power, and the Making of Empires
Time, Revolution, and the Democratization of Control
The Mirror of Our Deepest Selves
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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