George Bataille (1867-1962) is widely recognized as one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century. This is the first book in English to examine Bataille's work as a whole. It offers an accessible introduction to a complex and often ambiguous thinker.

Chapter 1 Introduction; Chapter 2 Life and context of work; Chapter 3 Themes and intellectual background; Chapter 4 Towards a sociology of abundance; Chapter 5 Expenditure and the general economy; Chapter 6 Death, communication and the experience of limits;