Limited Wants, Unlimited Means: A Reader on Hunter-Gatherer Economics and the Environment

Rating:
Summary: its ok if you are an economist
Review: but kinda dry if you are not. still, the information is very useful

Rating:
Summary: insightful and timely
Review: This is a wonderful collection of articles on economic anthropology. The book begins with the seminal article by Marshall Sahlins' on the "original affluent society" which debunked the myth that pre-agricultural life was "short, nasty and brutish". Monographs by Richard Lee and Lorne Marshall that originally appeared in 'Man the Hunter' are included.

The main thrust of the book is that primitive cultures had found a way of living on this planet that was sustainable, but in the neolithic era our farming ancestors abandoned this way of living for a much more ardous life-style that is ecologically unsustainable. What was the basis for this change? This book explores some of the canonical assumptions in our economic thought and how it differs fundamentally from that of primitive cultures. This is a great starting point for anyone interested in paradigms for sustainable development. References and further reading lists are particularly useful.