In his brilliant and insightful study, first published in 1977, the eminent American anthropologist Marvin Harris shows how the endless varieties of cultural behavior, which at first glance are often too puzzling, can be seen as adaptations of people to certain environmental conditions . Harris sets out to explain the evolution of cultural forms in the same way that Charles Darwin explained the evolution of biological forms, by demonstrating how cultures take on their characteristic forms in response to changing environmental conditions. Cannibals and Kings presents a systematic analysis of the reasons for the gradual transition of cultures from egalitarian hunter-gatherer societies to hierarchical states as population density increased, production intensified and the environment depleted. The publishing layout of the book is preserved in PDF A4 format.