Devil’s Contract

A devilishly fascinating tour of the Faustian bargain through the ages, from brimstone to blues and beyond …

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 instinct for sacrificing our principles in exchange for power models all kinds of social ills, from colonialism to nuclear warfare, and even social media, climate change, and AI. In doing so, Simon conveys just how much the Faustian bargain shows us about power and evil … and about ourselves.