Summaries of books by Ian Morris:
Why the West Rules—for Now
The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future
Ian Morris
The book examines the historical patterns of social development across civilizations, arguing that geographical and environmental factors largely shape the distribution of power. It explores the rise of the West in comparison to the East and suggests that current global trends may lead to a significant shift in global power dynamics.
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Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels
How Human Values Evolve
Ian Morris
The book explores the relationship between energy capture and social values, arguing that modes of energy extraction—hunting and gathering, farming, and using fossil fuels—have historically shaped human values and social organization. It combines insights from archaeology, history, and evolutionary theory to examine how economic structures and the means of production influence ideas about equality, hierarchy, and democracy throughout different periods in human development.
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