"People and Lands" is a fascinating and ambitious book about how humanity came to the world in which we live today. From the first farmers and nomadic tribes to the rise of states and empires, the author shows how land, surplus, power and violence shaped the history of peoples and civilizations. This is not a dry textbook, but a lively narrative about the choices, mistakes and turning points of human history. The book will be of interest to anyone who wants to understand the origins of economics, inequality, wars and statehood — and to see the ancient reflection of modern processes. Content Instead Of a preface. From savagery to civilization through barbarism Sargon of Akkad and the first attempt to create an empire Globalization of the Bronze Age Persians, "messengers from the future" Sparta, a society of war, an effective state in which the empire's tax trap cannot survive Egyptian cats and Great China The collapse of the Colossi Silk Road and the transit of technology Frisians Khazaria The best commercial enterprise of the early Middle Ages The Dutchman on the English throne The experiences of totalitarianism, the Prussian reforms, the example of the "revolution from above" in Chicago, the exemplary business ecosystem in Baku, tax payments, wells and fires, Life in Danish: how cooperation changed the country of the CER, the state within the state of Austria-Hungary The Silicon Valley phenomenon The book is unique in its detailed description of numerous episodes of the economic path of mankind and it captures, showing how managerial decisions can contribute to prosperity or, conversely, bring the economy to a standstill. The book is interesting not only for professionals, but also for readers seeking to expand their economic and historical knowledge. Sergey Smirnov, Doctor of Economics, Senior Researcher, Department of Economics, INION RAS, Genius manifests itself in any field, not only in art and literature. By inventing, implementing, and basing their lives on economic thought, many peoples found their place in the world. The book brilliantly describes the peoples and civilizations that have followed this path, from ancient farmers to empires. Ivan Tolstoy, historian, literary critic, journalist, This is a good book. And the reader will find here the answer to the well-known question: "Who are we? From where? Where are we going?" Evgeny Roizman, historian, researcher