Against the Grain
A Deep History of the Earliest States
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Against the Grain
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Narrated by:
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Eric Jason Martin
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By:
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James C. Scott
About this listen
An account of all the new and surprising evidence now available for the beginnings of the earliest civilizations that contradict the standard narrative
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 archaeological and historical evidence challenges this narrative. The first agrarian states, says James C. Scott, 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.
Scott explores why we avoided sedentism and plow agriculture, the advantages of mobile subsistence, 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. He also discusses the "barbarians" who long evaded state control, as a way of understanding continuing tension between states and nonsubject peoples.
©2017 Yale University (P)2017 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Against the Grain
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jammin042
- 05-02-21
Fascinating from start to finish
Brilliant book that I can't recommend highly enough. Informative, strangely inviting and fun. Gives an interesting perspective on the origins of farming and modern society.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Mr. Mathew Gumbley
- 02-10-18
Good with some interesting insights
A good summary of recent scholarship that is accessible to a non academic audience (like me).
Not sure how appropriate some of the terminology is, like "proletariat" and "booty capitalism", but I am far from well informed on the subject.
The analysis is singularly materialistic; the cause of social change is explained wholly in terms of technology and the management of the surplus of wealth and grain.
Traditional historical narratives of development are complicated and undermined giving a broader context for the relation between different types of society, city and country, "civilized" and "barbarian".
The first chapters on pre-state agriculture and social organisation I found the most insightful.
Overall worth a buy.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Brian Howard
- 13-02-20
History geek heaven
This is a thoroughly deep and thought provoking exploration of a pivotal time in human evolution, early civilisation and the first states. Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in the epipaleolithic and neolithic revolutions.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- David
- 02-07-23
Readable book, terrible narration
Truly found this book difficult to listen to as many have pointed out - horrendously droning narration with a smarmy vocal fry all the way through - it was like listening to a character from The Simpsons. Have listened to hundreds and hundreds of audiobooks, but never heard something so poorly narrated. Might have to re-read in future rather than listen to.
Book itself was decent, little lacking in evidence for assertions and somewhat repetitive once you get past the first two chapters. Not a great work of literature, but worth a listen and a muse!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Jacob
- 16-03-24
Very interesting, thought provoking
This book was recommended to me by the author himself after I told him in our brief encounter that I immensly enjoyed reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harrari. I can cofirm that people who enjoyed Sapiens should enjoy this one aswell. very interesting and provoking a different way of thinking about civilasion as a whole. On occasion the language was a bit difficult for me but overall great book.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Oli
- 03-04-21
A Very Intriguing Look at the Past
Did Hunter Gatherers avoid becoming Agrarian Farmers on purpose? Are grasses and grains our real captors? Are citizens and barbarians two sides of the same coin? The research in this book answers many of these questions.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Caroline
- 06-02-21
Very thought-provoking
Really fascinating book and, unlike some reviewers, I thought very easy to follow. Really made me question a lot of things I'd taken for granted about the early states. The author is honest about the limitations of the evidence after all this time but his questioning of received wisdom is really interesting. If you liked Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel, I think you'd like this.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 09-12-21
Some great content but gets repetitive
There are some great points presented in this book but it could have been half the length - almost every idea was repeated several times and it felt like the author was meandering back and forth between a group of ideas, without a clear structure from the beginning to the end. Still worth a read through!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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- Ragne
- 15-08-22
Could be much better
I managed to listen through despite the narrator. I would probably like the book better if I read it.
The entire book through I kept thinking "this author is very much an anarchist". It seems I was right, he's written books about anarchism. I don't mind anarchist, I agree in severe points, but it shows too much in this book. It colours the conclusions too much.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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- Lukas Daalder
- 16-08-21
Lukas
I missed the wow-moment that seemed to have promised to me at the beginning of the book. Still, it is interesting to see a different point of view.
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2 people found this helpful