Flannery and Marcus (anthropological archaeology & social evolution, respectively, Univ. of Michigan) examine the rise of inequality in human societies around the world and explore its possible causes in this scholarly yet accessible work. They begin by looking at the basic personal equality thought to be present in nomadic bands of Ice Age hunters and gatherers and then explore the development and manifestation of social and political inequality in many human societies, prehistoric and modern, around the world. A few factors involved in the transition from equality to inequality include the formation of clans, the rise of agriculture, and the growth in population size of sedentary village- and town-based societies. The authors provide a wide variety of examples of the development of hereditary inequality and examine how this inequality was manifested in increasingly complex societies, culminating in the formation of chiefdoms, kingdoms, and empires. They seamlessly combine evidence from excavated archaeological sites with relevant data from modern studies to support their points. The final chapter assesses implications for the future. VERDICT This provocative work, likely to become an important contribution to the literature of social and political anthropology, will be of interest both to scholars in the field and to anthropology and archaeology enthusiasts seeking understanding of the development and perpetuation of inequality in human societies.-Elizabeth Salt, Otterbein Univ. Lib., Westerville, OH (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In this extraordinarily erudite book, Flannery and Marcus (both, Univ. of Michigan) examine the changes in social logic--the ways individuals within particular societies think about themselves in relation to the world, to each other, and to other societies--which led from egalitarian hunter-gatherer status to ranked societies through kingdoms to empires. The authors examine prehistoric and ethnographic societies from around the world and throughout human history to understand particular sequences of development and derive general principles of change from them. At times, it may seem that they are beating a dead horse as they bring out every possible example of a particular transition, but this is their point: that the regularities are there. Although easy to read, the length and detail of the book might turn off all but the most dedicated general readers. On the other hand, it would be an excellent addition to collections on the rise of civilization or on how to use the data gathered by cultural anthropologists and archaeologists to understand broad patterns of social change. Professionals in the field will also benefit from this tour de force by two of archaeology's most provocative scholars. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. L. L. Johnson Vassar College