PART I. PRINCIPLES: Evolutionary theory: an introduction
Problem and method
The biological foundations of human societies
Determinants of the characteristics of individual societies: the independent variables
Characteristics of sets of societies
Characteristics of the global system of societies
Ecological-evolutionary theory and its alternatives: a comparison
PART II. APPLICATIONS: The origins and early development of ancient Israel
The rise of the West
Trajectories of development among societies
An experiment that failed
PART III. EPILOGUE: Retrospect and prospect.