Why SamRisna loves this book
This book helped me to recontextualize the rise and fall of civilizations in a way that felt almost heart-warming and affirming of humanity.
5 authors picked Against the Grain as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
An Economist Best History Book 2017
"History as it should be written."-Barry Cunliffe, Guardian
"Scott hits the nail squarely on the head by exposing the staggering price our ancestors paid for civilization and political order."-Walter Scheidel, Financial Times
Why did humans abandon hunting and gathering for sedentary communities dependent on livestock and cereal grains, and governed by precursors of today's states? Most people believe that plant and animal domestication allowed humans, finally, to settle down and form agricultural villages, towns, and states, which made possible civilization, law, public order, and a presumably secure way of living. But…
