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Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest StatesAn Economist Best History Book 2017 "History as it should be written." Barry Cunliffe, Guardian "Scott hits the nail squarely on the head by exposing the staggering price our ancestors paid for civilization and political order." Walter Scheidel, Financial Times 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
An Economist Best History Book 2017 "History as it should be written."--Barry Cunliffe, Guardian "Scott hits the nail squarely on the head by exposing the staggering price our ancestors paid for civilization and political order."--Walter Scheidel, Financial Times 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.Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 07/24/2018
ISBN: 9780300240214
Pages: 336
Weight: 0.76lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.50w x 0.90d
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★★★★★ 5
Good for light stuff
Color: Black, Size: 15 inches, Color: Black, Size: 15 inches
Good product. Very light though and if it’s in dry wall won’t hold something really heavy. I don’t think it would hold 20 pounds just light. I put over my washer and dryer and put one right on top that way I can put heavy stuff on that side without it weighing down and being ripped out of the wall. I won’t be putting heavy stuff on the right side I used 4 pieces and the wall is about 60-62 inches long
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Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Perfect sized floating shelves
Color: Black, Size: 24 inches, Color: Black, Size: 24 inches
These are great and the perfect width. I had my contractor install them because my tile had to have a hole drilled into it. I love that it looks seemless and flat to the tile. New bathroom renovation. I am very pleased. Holds a few towels also candles and a little plant with extra space. Perfect for a minimal look or if you have a small bathroom. Color was spot on.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2026
★★★★★ 3
Not What I Expected
Color: White, Size: 32 inches
This set of floating shelves was a disappointment. They’re advertised as holding 20 pounds, but mine began to bend with barely 10 pounds on them. All the screws and anchors were installed tightly and correctly, yet the metal brackets still warped under minimal weight. The shelves look fine on the wall, but I’m leaving them up only because I don’t want to patch a dozen holes—not because they’re sturdy. Definitely not the quality or strength I expected.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Love them
Color: White, Size: 15 inches, Color: White, Size: 15 inches
I have these floating shelves all over my house. The are made nice and sturdy and they come with simple instructions. They come it various sizes and can almost fit anywhere. These particular shelves are in my makeup closet and they look so great and organized.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Exceeds my expectations
Color: White, Size: 24 inches, Color: White, Size: 24 inches
Easy to install, exceeds my expectations. I’d buy it again.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2026