Collapse

How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

De: Jared Diamond

Narrado por: Michael Prichard

In Jared Diamond’s follow-up to the Pulitzer-Prize winning Guns, Germs and Steel, the author explores how climate change, the population explosion, and political discord create the conditions for the collapse of civilization.

Environmental damage, climate change, globalization, rapid population growth, and unwise political choices were all factors in the demise of societies around the world, but some found solutions and persisted. As in Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond traces the fundamental pattern of catastrophe, and weaves an all-encompassing global thesis through a series of fascinating historical-cultural narratives. Collapse moves from the Polynesian cultures on Easter Island to the flourishing American civilizations of the Anasazi and the Maya and finally to the doomed Viking colony on Greenland. Similar problems face us today and have already brought disaster to Rwanda and Haiti, even as China and Australia are trying to cope in innovative ways. Despite our own society’s apparently inexhaustible wealth and unrivaled political power, ominous warning signs have begun to emerge even in ecologically robust areas like Montana.

Brilliant, illuminating, and immensely absorbing, Collapse is destined to take its place as one of the essential books of our time, raising the urgent question: How can our world best avoid committing ecological suicide?

©2014 Jared Diamond (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Jared Diamond has done it again

poor decision making disscussed is a chapter i will never forget...well done sir Jared Diamond

Would recommend

Any additional comments?

Really solid book overall and I would definitely recommend. Some sections seemed to drag a bit for me, probably a bit long overall. Thought the historical examples were excellent but found the editorializing a bit tedious. In most cases, the point was obvious and didn't need near the narrative dedicated to making sure you picked up on the obvious. Still liked quite a bit.

A really good book.

This is my favorite of the Jared Diamond books that I have read. His work that combines so many fields of science, anthropology, archaeology, biology, climatology, etc. is alway insightful.

Another fascinating read!

I'm usually a fan of Jared Diamond's books and this one is no different. His analysis of the various countries and organization/delivery is engaging!

Excellent book

very interesting comparing success and collapse of ancient civilizations and what to learn from them.

Great approach to the global challenge.

The volume of the narrator fluctuated at times, which on a few occasions was frustrating.

Good story, but excessively detailed

Jared Diamond could have written this same story with a few 100 pages less. Even so the book is worth a lot

Fantastic & A Must Read

As a science loving engineer, I truly appreciate the way the author brought together vast data sets from historical and current diverse areas of study to offer a 'big picture' view. He has an amazing way of comparing & contrasting the data and experiences of history to explain why it is relevant today and how the same key 5 things have repeated throughout history and still today threaten human existance..

Fantastic but a little tough

such an amazing book, fascinating content thru and thru. However the narration was painfully dry and that guys voice made it really hard to stay awake and focused. However, once I got into a rhythm of it, it was became easy to listen for long periods. While it was an environmental and economic impact book, I found it at the heart to be a psychology book. Lots of of interesting information that tied into other books/podcasts I've listened to. Highly recommend on audible or in print. I have both and used both

Simply phenomenal!

Well the topics and the details in which they are covered in this audiobook is simply phenomenal. I also enjoy how the author looks at the subjects from multiple lenses: economical, political, cultural, etc.. This is the second book I've listened to by the author and it was simply great! The first one, as may have been seen in previous reviews, was guns germs and steel.