Weight of Numbers

There is a hidden subtitle to Vol. 1 of Fernand Braudel's epic Civilization and Capitalism 15th-18th Century: The Structures of Everyday Life. Found only on the inset page that subtitle is: The Limits of the Possible. Its a seminal work for the relatively fresh "new materialist" camp, and is an obvious wellspring for much of Deleuze and Guattari's work in A Thousand Plateaus (and consequently Manuel DeLanda), although what begin with Braudel as relatively pragmatic material concepts get abstracted rather quickly in their hands.

Speaking of the dense agriculturalization of rice paddy-fields: "What is striking at first glance is the extraordinarily intensive utilization of these precious lands." [pg. 148, my italics]

"[Nomads of the desert] represented speed and surprise at a period when everything moved slowly. [pg.95]

Material limitations (resources, geographical constraints, sufficient time) drive the specificity of cultural advancement; such is one of Braudel's theses. Such limitations locate the possible. Should we suppose that this notion doesn't make the cover because they ran out of space?