Bad Year Economics explores the role of risk and uncertainty in human economics within an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural framework. Drawing on archaeology, anthropology, and ancient and modern history, the contributors range widely in time and space across hunting, farming and pastoralism, across ancient states, empires, and modern nation states. The aim, however, is a common one: to analyse in each case the structure of variability - particularly with regard to food supply - and review the range of responses offered by individual human communities. These responses commonly exploit various forms of mobility, economic diversification, storage, and exchange to deploy local or temporary abundance as a defence against shortage. Different levels of response are used at different levels of risk. Their success is fundamental to human survival and their adoption has important ramifications throughout cultural behaviour.

Explores the role of risk and uncertainty in human economics within an interdisciplinary an cross-cultural framework.

Book Information
ISBN 9780521611923
Author Paul Halstead
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 382g
Dimensions(mm) 280mm * 210mm * 10mm