David Gadbois asks about Marcel Mauss. I am not acquainted with his work, but
a book of his on gift-giving (called, I believe, "The Gift") has recently
attracted a lot of attention in post-modern circles after an interpretative
reading by the ever-inscrutable Jacques Derrida. "The Gift" itself is
mercifully short (I've seen it -- not read it!). I dunno if it has the
spider-stuff in it, however.