Collapse

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed is Jared Diamond’s follow-up to the Pulitzer-Prize winning Guns, Germs and Steel. It explores the growing importance of environmental and ecological concerns to progressive US politics.

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“One of the accounts that sticks in my mind is of Easter Island. This is a warning that societies can do this. We, as a human society, could do this if we’re not careful. If we stretch the earth beyond its planetary limits, we could ruin the soil, we could ruin the ocean, we could ruin the air, and we could drain the ocean of fish.” Read more...

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David Pilling, Journalist

“I also wanted to include something that reflects the growing importance of environmental and ecological concerns to progressive politics in America. This is relatively new to the agenda – it’s only been in the last 30 to 35 years. But going forward, one of the most important things for progressives in the US, and all around the world, will be to prevent industrial economics from killing itself.” Read more...

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Matthew Yglesias, Political Commentator

” I found Jared Diamond’s book Collapse more valuable in influencing my own thinking, because it shows the importance of culture in determining how humans deal with environmental threats.” Read more...

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Daniel Headrick, Historian