Reciprocity is a pervasive type of social interaction in encounters, groups and organizations. Simple giving is one of the major ways of transferring goods. And others regarding social sentiments, play crucial roles in the working and in the quality of society. This volume gathers basic recent works in its main domains such as, among others, the theory of reciprocity, the public economics of transfers, the economics of the family, charities, gifts of organs, or the motivations for gift-giving. It constitutes a landmark in this rapidly expanding field of research.

List of Tables and Figures Acknowledgements List of Contributors Introduction: The Economics of Reciprocity, Giving and Altruism; S.C.Kolm PART I: GIVING When Private Parts Are Made Public Goods: The Economics of Market Inalienability; E.D.Thorne Preference Variation and Private Donations; E.Schokkaert & L.van Ootegem Gift Equilibrium and Liberal Distributive Social Contract: A Tentative Synthesis; J.Mercier Ythier PART II: RECIPROCITY The Theory of Reciprocity; S.C.Kolm Equity, Fairness Equilibria and Coordination in the Ultimatum Game; C.Meidinger Fairness and Retaliation: The Economics of Homo Reciprocans; E.Fehr & S.Gächter Transfers, Empathy Formation and Reverse Transfers; I.Falk & O.Stark Things You Don't Give or Sell but Which You Keep: Valuable and Social Objects; M.Godelier Altruism and Poverty in an African Context; F.R.Mahieu PART III: FAMILY Intergenerational Transmission Models: A Survey; A.Laferrère Mutual Interest, Self-enforcing Constitution and Apparent Generosity; A.Cigno & F.C.Rosati Intergenerational Equity in a Model of Endogeneous Growth; C.D.Aspremont, L.A.Gérard-Varet & P.Michel Conflicts within Economic Dynasties: Selfishness versus Descending Altruism; A.De Crombrugghe & L.Gevers Tax-transfer Policy with Altruists and Nonaltruists; P.Michel & P.Pestieau Strategic and Altruistic Remittances; F.Docquier & H.Rapoport Reciprocity with Two-sides Altruism in Intergenerational Transfers: Evidence from Indonesian Family Life Survey Data; L.K.Raut & L.H.Tran The Nature of Two-directional Intergenerational Transfers of Money and Time: An Empirical Analysis; Y.M.Ioannides & K.Kan PART IV: EVOLUTION The Ecology of Altruistic Motivations in Triadic Social Environments; A.Antoci, P.L.Sacco & S.Zamagni On the Evolution of Altruism; O.Stark Efficiency and Stability of Relationships with Local Altruistic Commitment; O.Chillemi & B.Gui Bibliography Index

JEAN MERCIER YTHIER is maître de conférences at the University of Paris La Sorbonne, and teaches at the University of Marseille. His works analyse benevolent redistribution in the contexts of general equilibrium and social contract theories. His most recent publications in English are The Distribution of Wealth in the Liberal Social Contract, and Existence of an Equilibrium of Property Rights.

SERGE-CHRISTOPHE KOLM is director and professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, Paris. He is the author of thirty books and several hundred scientific articles in economics and related fields. This includes the book on General Reciprocity (The Good Economy). His two most recent books, in English, are Modern Theories of Justice and Justice and Equity.

LOUIS-ANDRÉ GÉRARD-VARET is professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, Marseille, director of the Groupement de Recherche en Economie Quantitative, of the Institut d'Economics Publique, co-director of the European Laboratory in Quantitative Economics and Theory of Choice, and current president of the French Economic Association. His most recent book is Economics Beyond the Millennium.