Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States: Scott, James C.

The book "Seeing Like a State" by James C.

Scott is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of state formation and the impact of agriculture on human societies.

This groundbreaking work challenges the conventional wisdom that plant and animal domestication allowed humans to settle down and form agricultural villages, towns, and states, which made possible civilization, law, public order, and a presumably secure way of living.

Instead, Scott argues that the first agrarian states 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. Through a detailed examination of archaeological and historical evidence, Scott reveals why humans abandoned hunting and gathering for sedentary communities dependent on livestock and cereal grains, and governed by precursors of today’s states.

He also explores 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's work has become a touchstone for political scientists, and his new book extends these ideas to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex relationship between state formation and agriculture.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the forces that shaped human societies and the impact they have had on our world today.