How societies are born governance in west central africa before 1600 charlottesville university of virginia press 2004 jan vansinas new book how societies are born is a major . Italichow societies are born governance in west central africa before 1600 italic by jan vansina charlottesville university of virginia press 2004 325 pp 4500 cloth 2450 paper. As stars are born so are societies and this is a story about such a birth it tells us how different west central african societies emerged from the small foraging communities that preceded them and how they then grew to become what they were by 1600 it is a story worth telling for several reasons. It asks a fundamental and compelling question how did societies first coalesce from the small foraging communities that had roamed in west central africa for many thousands of years jan vansina continues a career long effort to reconstruct the history of african societies before european contact in how societies are born