The Origin of Things: A Cultural History of Man

First edition, first impression.  420pp, illustrated with line drawings in text.  8vo.  Red cloth-covered boards, gilt-stamped lettering on the spine.  Cloth is a little tired, gently rubbed and rounded at corners and spine ends, lightly rubbed on all edges.  A hint of creaminess to endpapers else internally neat, clean and tight.  In its original worn and chipped dust wrapper, with old tape repairs on the interior.   Original review request slip from the publisher loosely laid in.

Aimed at the lay reader rather than the specialist, this is a straightforward exposition of the science of anthropology, tracing the origin and development of major features of modern civilisation.  Lips demonstrates the manner in which many contemporary features such as social security, mass communications and even democracy are in fact often reintroductions, or inadequate imitations, of similar systems introduced in ancient times.