Book excerpt: First Published in 1984. From Adam Smith to Karl Marx, classical economists identify work as a collection of technical operations resulting in the creation of social goods and founding value. The authors of this book deal with several societies in Asia, Africa and America. D'Adam Smith a Karl Marx, les economistes classiques identifient le travail a un emsemble d'operations techniques aboutissant a la creation de biens sociaux et fondant la valeur. Les auters de ce livre traitent de plusieurs societes d'Asie, d'Afrique at d'Amerique.