The book "Social Perspectives on Ancient Lives from Paleoethnobotanical Data" offers a deep insight into social paleoethnobotany and examines the dynamic aspects of social life in the past. It brings together a series of contributions that address the everyday practices and politics of sourcing, preparing, and consuming plants. The authors demonstrate how socially focused interpretations of botanical datasets can bridge the gap between the natural and social sciences. The chapters are based on a variety of plant-based datasets, including macro-botanical, micro-botanical, and molecular data, and carefully consider the contexts in which the plant remains were found. These studies highlight that the richest interpretations arise from projects capable of incorporating a wide range of data types and going beyond simple descriptions of food and environmental conditions.