eableson finished reading The collapse of complex societies by Joseph A. Tainter (New studies in archaeology)
A survey of complex (post-hunter-gatherer, hierarchical) societies and their collapse, and the various theories proposed …
Interesting read. The context of 1968 shows through a bit, but the fundamentals are timeless. Apparently, the author is still living and I’ve been able source some papers from 1996 & 2000 which are going on the list to read. I’d be very curious to see his take of the current state of late stage capitalism viewed through this lens.