Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.17 (796 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0300182910 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-11-26 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
“The most interesting non-fiction read of the year. Urgently recommended, and fun to read as well.”—Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution
Scott explores why we avoided sedentism and plow agriculture, the advantages of mobile subsistence, the unforeseeable disease epidemics arising from crowding plants, animals, and grain, and why all early states are based on millets and cereal grains and unfree labor. Scott, were born of accumulations of domestications: first fire, then plants, livestock, subjects of the state, captives, and finally women in the patriarchal family—all of which can be viewed as a way of gaining control over reproduction. He also discusses the “barbarians” who long evaded state control,