The Evolution of Human Societies - 2nd Edition by Allen W Johnson & Timothy Earle

This groundbreaking book, "The Growth of Complex Societies," offers a comprehensive and compelling explanation for the growth in complexity of human societies.

The authors' original thesis, combined with a representative body of ethnographic data, provide a coherent theory of political economy that sheds light on the causes, mechanisms, and patterns of cultural evolution.

With a focus on the interconnected processes of technological change and population growth, this book demonstrates how these processes result in three related processes--intensification, integration, and stratification--that transform human societies over time.

The authors have thoroughly rewritten the theoretical argument for greater clarity, updated the case materials to incorporate new research, and added a new chapter that applies their theoretical perspective to the problems of change since the industrial revolution and the globalization of trade and political influence.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of human societies and the factors that shape their evolution.