1
of
1
Devil's Contract
A History of the Faustian Bargain
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 167 ratings, 60 reviews)
Brief Description
Lively . . . excoriating, eloquent . . . We are all Faustians now. - James Wood, The New Yorker A devilishly fascinating tour of the Faustian bargain through the ages, from brimstone to blues and beyond, now in paperback... From ancient times to the modern...
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$4000
Unit price
/
Unavailable
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
Devil's Contract
$4000
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Latest News
Romance for Spring - Groundbreaking!
Lizzy is sharing her top picks for Spring reads in the romance and romantasy genre...
The ‘Fourth Wing’ graphic novel covers have been revealed
The covers for ‘Fourth Wing, The Graphic Novel: Volume One’ have officially been revealed, with...
Books about Bookshops (across almost every genre)
Books about books, bookshops, and booksellers - it's my favourite thing. Here's a small selection...
What the Book Hero team is excited for
With so many pre-orders coming in the last few months of the year, we asked...
Meet Reverie Puzzles: Puzzles Made for Book Lovers
Reverie Puzzles have arrived at Book Hero and they might just be the perfect puzzles...
See more
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Lively . . . excoriating, eloquent . . . We are all Faustians now. - James Wood, The New Yorker
A devilishly fascinating tour of the Faustian bargain through the ages, from brimstone to blues and beyond, now in paperback...
From ancient times to the modern world, the idea of the Faustian bargain—the exchange of one's soul in return for untold riches and power—has exerted a magnetic pull upon our collective imaginations.
Scholar Ed Simon takes us on a historical tour of the Faustian bargain, from the Bible to blues, and illustrates how the impulse to sacrifice our principles in exchange for power is present in all kinds of social ills, from colonialism to nuclear warfare, from social media to climate change to AI, and beyond. In doing so, Simon conveys just how much the Faustian bargain shows us about power and evil... and ourselves.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781685892074
Publisher: Melville House Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 16 September 2025
Country: United States
Imprint: Melville House Publishing
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 140.0mm
Height: 210.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 336
About the Author
Ed Simon is the Public Humanities Special Faculty in the English Department of Carnegie Mellon University and editor in chief of literary journal Belt Magazine. A staff writer for LitHub, his essays and criticism have appeared in the New York Times, the Atlantic, the Paris Review Daily, the New Republic, and the Washington Post. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his family.
Also by Ed Simon
View all-
Elysium
Ineffable, invisible, inscrutable—angels are enduring creatures across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and human experiences of the divine as mediated by spiritual emissaries are an aspect of almost every religious tradition. In popular culture, angels are often reduced to the most gauzy, sentimental, and saccharine of images: fat babies with wings and guardians with robes, halos, and harps. By contrast, in...Hardback$8000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pandemonium
Pandemonium: An Illustrated History of Demonology presents for the first time Satan's family tree, providing a history and analysis of his fellow fallen angels from Asmodeus to Ziminiar. Throughout, there are short entries on individual demons, but Pandemonium is more than just a visual encyclopedia. It also focuses on the influence of figures like Beelzebub, Azazel, Lilith, and Moloch on...Hardback$10500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 1 week -
Relic
Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. Every culture, every religion, every era has enshrined otherwise regular objects with a significance which stretches beyond their literal importance. Whether the bone of a Catholic martyr, the tooth of a Buddhist lama, or the cloak of a Sufi saint, relics are material...Paperback$2199Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Heavenly Virtues
A captivating artistic and philosophic exploration of humankind’s complex moral codes A companion piece to Pandemonium: A Visual History of Demonology and Elysium: A Visual History of Angelology, The Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Heavenly Virtues will complete this moral trilogy and finally consider God’s most enigmatic of creations: none of the conundrums of metaphysics are as baroque as the...Hardback$7999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Writing During the Apocalypse
All of American literature is a tragedy. What we’re living through now isn’t a tragedy, however – it’s a horror novel. Why bother writing when the world’s on fire? Rising authoritarianism. Covid. Inflation. Wealth disparity. War. Climate change. While every time period is marked by apocalyptic fears, it certainly seems like our current anxieties aren’t ill placed. And yet, art...Paperback$4099Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Heaven, Hell and Paradise Lost: Bookmarked
A poet who crafted the greatest character in literary history with his engaging anti-hero of Satan, John Milton connected personal experience with the breadth of cosmic epic. His Paradise Lost is a touchstone of English literature. In the latest entry in Ig's celebrated Bookmarked series, author Ed Simon considers Paradise Lost within the scope of his own alcoholism and recovery,...PaperbackSold Out
More from Philosophy & Psychology
View all-
Buy to WinEat Your Ice Cream
The New York Times bestseller that presents a bold new vision for living well and ageing with purpose from a world-renowned health expert THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From a leading doctor and world-renowned health expert, the simple, uplifting and practical guide to cutting through the wellness noise, living well and ageing with purpose. ‘Essential reading for anyone who...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseThe Winner's Formula
The Neuroscience of Peak Performance, Success, and Happiness Why do some people win all the time? Why do others languish? From Olympians to Formula 1 drivers, addicts to billionaires, cognitive neuroscientist Dr Kerry Spackman has spent decades working to help people understand how to succeed. In The Winner's Formula, Kerry explains what goes on in your brain when you are...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
10% offInside the Box
How to do more with less and use limits to stimulate creativity, innovation and collaboration, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Range. We live in a world that gives us seemingly infinite choices and values freedom above all else. We have an unprecedented number of options regarding what to do, who to be and how to spend our time....Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3900Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Better Never Stops
The Art and Science of Continuous Improvement From delinquent to doctor, Paul Wood knows first-hand how far we can take our lives if we address what holds us back. At the age of 18, Wood was sent to New Zealand's toughest prison. Almost 11 years later, in 2006, he walked out a free man, escaping his past and becoming a...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four
In the drab and oppressive world of 1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell introduces us to Winston Smith, a man haunted by the omnipresent surveillance and control exercised by the Party and its enigmatic leader, Big Brother. Winston works diligently at the Ministry of Truth, where his job is to alter historical records to fit the ever-changing narrative dictated by the...Paperback$1299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Buy to WinThe Body Keeps the Score
The Body Keeps the Score by Dr Bessel van der Kolk is a compelling and compassionate exploration of the deep-seated impact of trauma on the human body and mind. This groundbreaking work delves into the complex causes of trauma and paints a vivid picture of the revolutionary treatments that are enabling countless individuals to reclaim their lives filled with purpose...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New Release
Tell Me Where It Hurts
Leading expert Rachel Zoffness bridges the gap between medicine and psychology to get to the heart of treating pain We can move the dial on pain Every one of us will experience pain, be it back pain, the pain of childbirth, or living in an ageing body. Not a single one of us will escape. But what if everything you...Hardback$6500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Strong Ground
#1 New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown returns with an urgent call to reimagine the essentials of courageous leadership. In a time when uncertainty runs deep and bluster, hubris and even cruelty are increasingly framed as acceptable leadership, Brown delivers practical, actionable insights that illuminate the mindsets and skill sets essential to reclaiming focus and driving growth through connection, discipline and...Hardback$4000Elsewhere:$5500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Book of Awakening
A new edition of the #1 NYT's bestseller by Mark Nepo, who has been called "one of the finest spiritual guides of our time" and "a consummate storyteller." Immerse yourself in The Book of Awakening, a compelling spiritual daybook by philosopher-poet and cancer survivor, Mark Nepo. This remarkable work is a profound manual for living a more deeply connected and...Paperback$3999Elsewhere:$4499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Man's Search For Meaning
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the author’s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2100Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Stimulated Mind
A practical, empowering plan to boost your day-to-day brain function and prevent dementia - by a renowned neuroscientist and performance coach. 'From day one I was always blown away by Dr Tommy Wood's command of the science from which he communicates.' - Dr Peter Attia, bestselling author of Outlive- The Science and Art of Longevity 'As global health declines, Dr...Paperback$3800Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
13% offMeditations for Mortals
From the author of the global bestseller Four Thousand Weeks, a liberating four-week journey towards a saner, freer, more meaningful, more enchantment-filled life. Meditations for Mortals takes us on a liberating journey towards a more meaningful life - one that begins not with fantasies of the ideal existence, but with the reality in which we actually find ourselves. Addressing the...Paperback$2800Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
