This is a comparative ethnographic and historical study of mutual funds thatflourished in nineteenthcentury Europe and North America. Today mutual fundsabound i... » 

This is a comparative ethnographic and historical study of mutual funds thatflourished in nineteenthcentury Europe and North America. Today mutual fundsabound in Asia and Africa they have returned to European and American citiesalong with immigrants from overseas. The principle is simple a number ofparticipants each pay a contribution into the fund for as many rounds as thereare participants and at each round one player receives the total ofcontributions paid. Until the time that players receive the lump sum they arecreditors to the fund. From that moment on they become debtors who must betrusted to go on paying their contribution until the end. Usuallycreditworthiness prestige privilege need lottery or discounts determine thesequence that the organizer imposes. «