Civilization originates in conquest abroad and repression at home.

Much of human history has consisted of unequal conflicts between the haves and the have-nots.

We're uncomfortable about considering history as a science. It's classified as a social science, which is considered not quite scientific.

[T]he values to which people cling most stubbornly under inappropriate conditions are those values that were previously the source of their greatest triumphs.

All human societies go through fads in which they temporarily either adopt practices of little use or else abandon practices of considerable use.

The southward advance of native African farmers with Central African crops halted in Natal, beyond which Central African crops couldn't grow - with enormous consequences for the recent history of South Africa.

With the MacArthur grant, I realized that people have high expectations of me, that they were placing me in this group of achievers. I compared what Id actually achieved in my life with what I would like to achieve and what other people have achieved, and I found that comparison depressing.