A Theory of Power

Rating:
Summary: Challenges how you thought the world worked
Review: I give "Theory of Power" five stars because it made me think about the world differently, in much the same way that Daniel Quinn's "Ishmael" did.
This book gives you new and very refreshing (if a bit scary) ways to look at the world and the patterns, links and rubrics in it.
Any professor of History, Anthropology, or Political Science who does not challenge students with this book and its ideas has missed a great opportunity. This book forces you to think and challenges your long held beliefs.
You will not even notice that (as Vail says in a note to his introduction) the book is written entirely without the verb to be.
The book is clear and concise but you will still find yourself re-reading every other sentence. On every page you will want to stop and think about what you just read.
The list of references, alone, is worth the price of admission.
Read the book. You will be a different person for it.

Rating:
Summary: Insights into the our world and ourselves
Review: "A Theory of Power" explores the roles of patterns, especially the pattern of hierarchy, in our biology, psychology and society. One of its critical insights is the profoundly original theory that the ego serves as a link between our biology of "selfish genes" and our society of "selfish memes". I found this book insightful, not only helping me to better understand how I fit into the structure of the world around me (not to mention what "I" really am), but because Vail provides a clear course of action--not only to free our individual self from the control of biology and culture, but also to confront the pattern of hierarchy directly in our society and economy. A fascinating read that I highly recommend.

Rating:
Summary: Anthropology of Power
Review: An excellent analysis of how the mysterious functioning of "power", the relationship between different entities, manifests in the structure of society, governments, industry, even our own psychology. If you're looking for a simple but very new way to explain the functioning of everything, this book is a must read. "A Theory of Power" has given me a new perspective on the world around me, and on my role in it.

I found the discussion on the evolution of societies especially interesting: how our world developed from hunter-gatherer bands to great, centralized empires. Vail lays out the mechanics of society in a very straight-forward manner, and then lays out a plan to use that very framework to effect positive change. If you enjoy the kind of "ah-ha" moments from books like "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond or "The Global Brain" by Howard Bloom, then you will definitely like this book.

Rating:
Summary: Full of insight
Review: In most books, I expect maybe one real "ah-ha" moment, one truly original thought. With A THEORY OF POWER I lost count. For those interested in the impact of politics and group psychology on our lives this is a quick read that packs a huge punch.