Collapse How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

Inhismillion-copybestsellerGuns,Germs,andSteel,JaredDiamondexaminedhowandwhyWesterncivilizationsdevelopedthetechnologiesandimmunitiesthatallowedthemtodominatemuchoftheworld.Nowinthisbrilliantcompanionvolume,Diamondprobestheothersideoftheequation:Whatcausedsomeofthegreatcivilizationsofthepasttocollapseintoruin,andwhatcanwelearnfromtheirfates?AsinGuns,Germs,andSteel,Diamondweavesanall-encompassingglobalthesisthroughaseriesoffascinatinghistorical-culturalnarratives.MovingfromthePolynesianculturesonEasterIslandtotheflourishingAmericancivilizationsoftheAnasaziandtheMayaandfinallytothedoomedVikingcolonyonGreenland,Diamondtracesthefundamentalpatternofcatastrophe.Environmentaldamage,climatechange,rapidpopulationgrowth,andunwisepoliticalchoiceswereallfactorsinthedemiseofthesesocieties,butothersocietiesfoundsolutionsandpersisted.SimilarproblemsfaceustodayandhavealreadybroughtdisastertoRwandaandHaiti,evenasChinaandAustraliaaretryingtocopeininnovativeways.Despiteourownsociety’sapparentlyinexhaustiblewealthandunrivaledpoliticalpower,ominouswarningsignshavebeguntoemergeeveninecologicallyrobustareaslikeMontana.Brilliant,illuminating,andimmenselyabsorbing,Collapseisdestinedtotakeitsplaceasoneoftheessentialbooksofourtime,raisingtheurgentquestion:Howcanourworldbestavoidcommittingecologicalsuicide?