The collapse of complex societies
by Joseph A. Tainter
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Any explanation of political collapse carries lessons not just for the study of ancient societies, but for the members of all complex societies in both the present and future. Dr Tainter describes nearly two dozen cases of collapse and reviews more than 2000 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.
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effondrement des Sociétés Complexes: Nouvelle édition
2020, Le Retour Aux Sources
in French
1913890104 9781913890100
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The collapse of complex societies.
1990, Cambridge University Press
in English
052138673X 9780521386739
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The collapse of complex societies
1988, Cambridge University Press
Hardback
in English
0521340926 9780521340922
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Book Details
Table of Contents
Edition Notes
Bibliography: p. 217-242.
Includes index.
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Work Description
A survey of complex (post-hunter-gatherer, hierarchical) societies and their collapse, and the various theories proposed to account for collapse. The author develops his own theory based on the increasing cost of managing complexity that acheives decreasing marginal benefits.
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- Created April 1, 2008
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| August 9, 2025 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
| May 1, 2025 | Edited by reshelved | IA |
| March 28, 2025 | Edited by ImportBot | Redacting ocaids |
| January 16, 2025 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
| April 1, 2008 | Created by an anonymous user | Imported from Scriblio MARC record |