Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States

Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest StatesWhy did humans abandon hunting and gathering for sedentary communities dependent on livestock and cereal grains, and governed by precursors of todays 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 archaeological and historical evidence challenges this

or in response to the news of the day

Layar Lucida

better than she knows herself

and the science that shows us how trees communicate

Invited to deliver the prestigious Norton Lectures

An ancient form with an eye on the future

but there are no joyful swatches of either

In House of Huawei

Skilfully introducing us to the nuanced theories of anarchist groups from Russia to Japan to the United States

whether they are rivals or allies

customer data — the list goes on

they are modestly happy but practically futureless