Marcel Mauss' book "The Gift" The Importance of the Gif t Marcel Mauss’ book “The Gift” is a comparative study of the institution of the gift in different primitive and archaic cultures. The Gift: The Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies by Marcel Mauss highlights the concept of gift-giving and reciprocity in several societies. THEGIFT FormsandFunctionsofExchange inArchaicSocieties by MARCELMAUSS Translatedby IANGUNNISON WithanIntroductionby. It is a work of notoriously scattershot brilliance; but, as a result, the essay has become a kind of screen for the projection of every sort of fantasy. "The Gift is surely the most misunderstood work in the history of anthropology. Marcel Mauss is not entirely without blame for this. Marcel Mauss (1991), however, did not agree with Malinowski and put forward the view that there are two types of exchange- gift exchange and commodity exchange (Carrier 1991, 121 and Rus 2008, 81). E.EVANS-PRITCHARD ProfessorofSocialAnthropology andFellowofAllSoulsCollege,Oxford COHEN&WESTLTD 68-74CarterLane,London,E.C.4 1966 This book is very important for two reasons: Mauss notes the existence of a logically structured communication For Mauss, gift exchange is associated with societies that are based on kinship relations that define the transactors and their relations to each other.