The ""Essay upon Projects"" was written during the years immediately following two of Defoe's serious brushed with the law. In 1692, #17,000 in debt, he was declared bankrupt. After a brief imprisonment and during the time he subsequently spent hiding from authorities and creditors, he began work on various ""projects"" which he thought would make England a better nation and, were they approved and acted upon by the government, bring him fame and fortune. Composed piecemeal, the ""Essay"" offers a wide ranging series of proposals for radical social reform, while attempting to gain some dignity for what Defoe called, in another context, the despicable art of projecting. Among Defoe's schemes, predictable enough, was a project for the reform of his nation's bankruptcy laws, a project over which Defoe, in his own words, ""waxed hot"". Five years after he began it, Defoe published the work. By 1697, he had righted himself publicly and financially, having served as Accomptant to the Commissioners of the Glass Duty in King William's government and having profited from his brick and tile factory in Tilbury. The work represents new beginnings for Defoe as a political and literary figure, new assertions of principles, new ventures on public terrain. At its most utopian, it was an effort at charting a new future for England - a combination of social engineering and economic scheming. It is a commonplace to say of science fiction that while purporting to be about other worlds and often about future time, it is invariable about our present life on earth. Similarly, it may be said of ""An Essay upon Projects"" that although Defoe's work treated future projects and possibilities, they were very much rooted in the events of the recent past and the present. Read against the swarm of proposals published during the 1690s (usually in pamphlet form), the text seems thoroughly rooted in the efforts at attempting to solve the economic problems of the late-17th century. On the other hand, Defoe enjoyed assuming the role of a prophet, and if some of his schemes seemed to foreshadow his future developments, whether in his time or ours, he would hardly have been reluctant to take credit for his ingenuity and farsightedness.

About the Author

Daniel Defoe was one of the first English novelists. Born in London to Presbyterian dissenters, he survived both the plague and the Great Fire of London in 1666. He joined the Monmouth Rebellion, was arrested for debt, worked as a tax collector, and ran a brick factory. In addition to such adventurous novels as Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders, Defoe composed political tracts, poems, travel books, and hundreds of other writings.

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Store Description

Since 1960, we mainly have continued to specialize in bringing antiquarian books, academic western books and published materials, doctoral dissertations, microforms and electronic publications to its university and academic clients throughout Japan. We strive to be not the largest, but the "first and foremost" specialist firm in Japan.

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Yushodo co., ltd.
1542, Fuefuki-shi, YAMAN, 406-0026, Japan

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

All books are selling with our best price with excellent packing.
We accept Visa/MC/AE/CB. If you wish to order books above $800.00, we can add other mayment opptions such Wire Transfer or Invoice for a temporary period of time. Please contact us before ordering. Also, if you are concerned about books condition, we are willing to send you some photos.

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If you are a consumer you can cancel the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.

INFORMATION REGARDING THE RIGHT OF CANCELLATION

Statutory Right to cancel

You have the right to cancel this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.

The cancellation period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the the last good or the last lot or piece.

To exercise the right to cancel, you must inform us, Yushodo Co., Ltd., Yushodo Operation Center, 1542 Nakagawa, Isawa-cho,, 406-0026, Fuefuki-shi, Yamanashi Pref., N/A, Japan, 81-55-262-5622, of your decision to cancel this contract by a clear statement (e.g. a letter sent by post, fax or e-mail). You may use the attached model cancellation form, but it is not obligatory. You can also electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". If you use this option, we will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a cancellation on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.

To meet the cancellation deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right to cancel before the cancellation period has expired.

Effects of cancellation

If you cancel this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).

We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.

We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to cancel with contract.

We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.

We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.

You shall send back the goods or hand them over to us or Yushodo Co., Ltd., Yushodo Operation Center, 1542 Nakagawa, Isawa-cho,, 406-0026, Fuefuki-shi, Yamanashi Pref., N/A, Japan, 81-55-262-5622, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your cancellation from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.

Exceptions to the right of cancellation

The right of cancellation does not apply to:

the delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
the supply of digital content (including ebooks) which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not cancel it once delivery had started.

Model withdrawal form

(complete and return this form only if you wish to withdraw from the contract)

To: (Yushodo Co., Ltd., Yushodo Operation Center, 1542 Nakagawa, Isawa-cho,, 406-0026, Fuefuki-shi, Yamanashi Pref., N/A, Japan, 81-55-262-5622)

I/We (*) hereby give notice that I/We (*) withdraw from my/our (*) contract of sale of the following goods (*)/for the provision of the following goods (*)/for the provision of the following service (*),

Ordered on (*)/received on (*)

Name of consumer(s)

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Shipping rates from Japan to U.S.A.

Shipping rates from Japan to U.S.A.
Order quantity	40 to 60 business days	35 to 60 business days
First item	� 26.21	� 52.42

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