People of the Plow: An Agricultural History of Ethiopia, 1800-1990

Rating:
Summary: People of the Plow
Review: Historical evidence in cave paintings shows that the Ethiopian farmer has been using oxen and long-beam plows to till the land for at least two thousand years. Author James C. McCann uses his thorough research into archival evidence and current oral history to demonstrate the persistence of these farming methods to the present time. McCann's easy writing style takes farmers' narrative tales and translates them into social science language.

McCann clearly shows how Ethiopian farmers have been moved, in this century, from self-reliance to dependence upon political whims. Farmers now rely upon the state to provide seed and fertilizer, and so are forced into growing crops from those seeds, whether the environmental conditions cooperate or not.

McCann's writing style holds the reader's interest because he includes so many first person narratives and examples to illustrate his points. More detailed maps that show locations of old and new trade and market centers would be appreciated. McCann often talks about these changes, so maps could have acted to clarify the text if he had placed them near to the specific locations under discussion. His book is meticulously researched. This book is an excellent introduction to the general interaction of government and agriculture and its specific interplay in Ethiopia.

Rating:
Summary: People of the Plow
Review: Historical evidence in cave paintings shows that the Ethiopian farmer has been using oxen and long-beam plows to till the land for at least two thousand years. Author James C. McCann uses his thorough research into archival evidence and current oral history to demonstrate the persistence of these farming methods to the present time. McCann's easy writing style takes farmers' narrative tales and translates them into social science language.

McCann clearly shows how Ethiopian farmers have been moved, in this century, from self-reliance to dependence upon political whims. Farmers now rely upon the state to provide seed and fertilizer, and so are forced into growing crops from those seeds, whether the environmental conditions cooperate or not.

McCann's writing style holds the reader's interest because he includes so many first person narratives and examples to illustrate his points. More detailed maps that show locations of old and new trade and market centers would be appreciated. McCann often talks about these changes, so maps could have acted to clarify the text if he had placed them near to the specific locations under discussion. His book is meticulously researched. This book is an excellent introduction to the general interaction of government and agriculture and its specific interplay in Ethiopia.