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  • The Collapse of Complex Societies

  • New Studies in Archaeology, Book 8
  • By: Joseph A. Tainter
  • Narrated by: Brian Arens
  • Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (18 ratings)
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The Collapse of Complex Societies

By: Joseph A. Tainter
Narrated by: Brian Arens
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Summary

Political disintegration is a persistent feature of world history. The Collapse of Complex Societies, though written by an archaeologist, will therefore strike a chord throughout the social sciences. Any explanation of societal collapse carries lessons not just for the study of ancient societies, but for the members of all such societies in both the present and future. Dr. Tainter describes nearly two dozen cases of collapse and reviews more than 2,000 years of explanations. He then develops a new and far-reaching theory that accounts for collapse among diverse kinds of societies, evaluating his model and clarifying the processes of disintegration by detailed studies of the Roman, Mayan, and Chacoan collapses.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©1988 Cambridge University Press (P)2022 Echo Point Books & Media, LLC
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about The Collapse of Complex Societies

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okay but no germs, guns and steel

this is interesting, but easy enough to drift away from as it goes. I was hoping for insights into what we should be looking out for in our 21st century complex technological societies, and in our organisations - something in the nature of James c Scott - and while there is some discussion of that in the final chapter much of the rest is a fairly dry survey style exposition of the collapse of various diverse societies. Probably of more interest to academics than a general reader.

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Excellent.

Essential reading for anyone concerned about collapse in the future or the past. Well read.

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