The two wolves

In this influential book, Albert O. Hirschman explores how individuals and groups respond to decline in various organizations. He introduces the concepts of 'exit' (withdrawing from the organization), 'voice' (attempting to improve the organization through complaint or protest), and 'loyalty' (the factor that can influence the choice between exit and voice). Hirschman argues that these responses are interdependent and that understanding their interaction is crucial for addressing organizational decline. The book applies these concepts to a wide range of economic, social, and political phenomena, including consumer behavior, political parties, and personal relationships.

In 'Domination and the Arts of Resistance', James C. Scott explores the public and hidden transcripts of power interactions between dominant and subordinate groups. He argues that while the powerful maintain a public transcript to assert their dominance, the powerless create a hidden transcript to critique and resist this power. Scott examines various forms of resistance, including folk tales, jokes, and public performances, highlighting the strategic agency of subordinate groups.

This book offers a dramatically new understanding of human history, challenging fundamental assumptions about social evolution, the development of agriculture, cities, the state, democracy, and inequality. Graeber and Wengrow argue that traditional theories of human history, such as those posited by Hobbes and Rousseau, are not supported by anthropological or archaeological evidence. Instead, they show that humans have lived in large, complex, but decentralized societies for millennia, often without ruling elites or hierarchical systems. The authors draw on extensive research in archaeology and anthropology to reveal a history that is more varied and hopeful than previously assumed, emphasizing human experimentation with different social arrangements and the potential for new forms of freedom and societal organization.