A Nation's Perspective: Why Plans to Improve the Human Condition Fail

A heavyweight classic in anthropology and political science, a must-read for studying "state" <br data-mce-fragment="1">Explains how the "state apparatus" will operate, and why well-intentioned social projects ended up miserably fail?

Author of "Reverse Valley" and "Anthropologist's Observations on Anarchism"
Winner of the 2020 Albert O. Hirschman Prize — James Scott

In this rich intellectual journey, the author Scott not only accurately outlines the methods used by the state to intervene, understand and control society, but also further explains why those well-intentioned, beautiful and grand "state plans" in history ”, but often end in failure.

From the feudal tax system in Europe, from forests to flower gardens, to the differences between important "socialist revolutionaries" such as Lenin and Rosa Luxemburg; from Brasilia to the village building plan in Tanzania, the author also talks about the differences between Corbusier and Jane. ‧Jacob’s divergent views on urban planning. With a macroscopic view of the global and historical scale, coupled with delicate and sometimes overly detailed field and documentary materials, Scott's vivid and occasionally ironic and playful narrative style makes this work not only well-structured but also theoretical. The moral is that each chapter has its own interesting historical story that often contains ingenious writing. #