I think you've simplified his view a bit too much. Agriculture not only requires more work but...
* Worse nutrition because you're eating only the narrow selection you can grow.
* Poor nutrition means worse health, digestive, and dental problems.
* Agriculture leads to higher population densities and living in proximity to animals which in turn leads to plagues.
* Agriculture leads to population growth and consequent vulnerability to weather, floods, etc.
* Agriculture leads to population density, leads to social organization, leads to war, genocide, feudalism, etc
There are lots of problems with primitive agriculture and it seems perfectly plausible that it would be a better life to be an early hunter gatherer than an early farmer. Try tilling a field with a sprained ankle, or with rotting teeth after a bad harvest to feed your starving children. Etc.
* Worse nutrition because you're eating only the narrow selection you can grow.
* Poor nutrition means worse health, digestive, and dental problems.
* Agriculture leads to higher population densities and living in proximity to animals which in turn leads to plagues.
* Agriculture leads to population growth and consequent vulnerability to weather, floods, etc.
* Agriculture leads to population density, leads to social organization, leads to war, genocide, feudalism, etc
There are lots of problems with primitive agriculture and it seems perfectly plausible that it would be a better life to be an early hunter gatherer than an early farmer. Try tilling a field with a sprained ankle, or with rotting teeth after a bad harvest to feed your starving children. Etc.