This is an excellent treatment of a key step in the evolution of human cultures - the initial institutionalization of political power in chiefdoms. It is both far more sophisticated than most prior studies of cultural evolution, and far more interesting to read. The writing style is elegant and easy to follow. Highly recommended for anyone interested in comparative politics, cultural evolution, archaeology, and social theory.

An extremely intelligent and valuable book. In my experience of teaching it for several years, undergraduates find it overly dense and off-putting. Its strongest points are the numerous brief but well thought out summary ethnographic examples from the !kung-san to the Inka. Weakest point is the authors' conviction that school of Marvin Harris cultural evolutionism is the only useful key to thinking about human history

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to understand how and why some societies have grown in complexity over time. Written from a materialist perspective, the authors have developed an elegant thesis for explaining the "causes, mechanisms, and patterns of cultural evolution. " This book has become a standard in many anthropology classes.