"Ishmael" (Daniel Quinn) is an update on the idea of the noble savage. The author presents a choice between two lifestyles - "Takers" and "Leavers". The Takers take their lives into their own hands. They plant more food than the can eat, and grow without limits. The Leavers leave their fates to the gods (growing and shrinking population as the environment shifts). He stops short of saying technology is evil.
Unfortunately, I do not think this jives with actual history. I believe "Guns, Germs, and Steel" (Jared Diamond) presents a much better view of pre-history and anthropology. The peoples who retained stone age technology throughout the technology revolution in the West did so because they lacked the opportunity to do so (not out of some conscience choice). New data is showing massive die-offs of local bird and animal populations in pre-Columbian America. It was only the plagues introduced in the 1600's by the Spanish allowed the animal populations to be restored in time for the American settlers of the 1800's to find an "unspoiled wilderness" and come in and kill them off again...
We do not know why early American agricultural societies disappeared. It may of been disease, a long drought, or invasion by neighbors. It's possible that without animal power (see GGS) they simple said "it's not worth it" and returned to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
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