Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels

"Ian Morris has thrown another curveball for social science. In this disarmingly readable book, which takes us from prehistory to the present, he offers a new theory of human culture, linking it firmly to economic fundamentals and how humans obtained their energy and resources from nature. This is bold, erudite, and provocative."--Daron Acemoglu, coauthor of How Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty"Ian Morris has emerged in recent years as one of the great big thinkers in history, archaeology, and anthropology, writing books that set people talking and thinking. I found delightful things in every chapter ofForagers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels, interesting enough that I found myself sharing them with family over dinner. The breadth of reading and the command of the subject are just dazzling. His major argument--that value systems adapt themselves to ambient energy structures, in the same way that an organism adapts to its niche--is fascinating."--Daniel Lord Smail, author of On Deep History and the Brain"This is an important and stylistically excellent book written from a sophisticated materialist perspective. It is eminently readable, lively, and with clearly stated arguments explored in a systematic fashion. In a sense, it follows up on Jared Diamond's work on agricultural origins, and it parallels Steven Pinker's book on warfare in depicting a world that is culturally evolving in a certain direction. Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels should have a serious impact."--Chris Boehm, author of Moral Origins: The Evolution of Altruism, Virtue, and Shame