The eight case studies in this book -- each a synthesis of available knowledge about the origins of agriculture in a specific region of the globe -- enable scholars in diverse disciplines to examine humanity's transition to agricultural societies. Contributors include: Gary W. Crawford, Robin W. Dennell, and Jack R. Harlan. "Nowhere else are the diverse factors influencing the origins of agriculture summarized at comparably large scales and made accessible to a similar range of non-specialists." -- American Anthropologist "Highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of cultivated plants. . . . A particularly effective textbook. The chapters are each an excellent introduction to the history of plant cultivation and domestication in their region and include much data and many references." -- American Antiquity   C. Wesley Cowan is a retired anthropologist and museum curator, the founder and owner of Cowan's Auctions, Inc., a star on the PBS series, History Detectives , and a frequent appraiser on Antiques Roadshow . Patty Jo Watson is Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor Emerita, Department of Anthropology, Washington University, St. Louis.