It appears that this lesson was eventually learnt by humankind as well, when it progressed to the wisdom of agriculture over hunting. The wisdom of ants that they borrowed did not end here but helped to lay the foundation of economics as a distinct discipline, this book takes the reader through the history of the four major world civilizations - European, Islamic, Indian and Chinese - pointing out how the ways in which we think of economics today were actually formed ages ago. Along the way, Shankar Jaganathan asks us to examine our own ideas on the subject and its ability to drive the world. Written I a lucid, easy style, with many historical anecdotes, The Wisdom of Ants views the business of trade and commerce through a ethical, social and political lens, allowing readers to understand the relevance of the history to their own daily lives.