Collapse

How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

By: Jared Diamond

Narrated by: Christopher Murney

Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

In his million-copy best seller Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond examined how and why Western civilizations developed the technologies and immunities that allowed them to dominate much of the world. Now in this brilliant companion volume, Diamond probes the other side of the equation: what caused some of the great civilizations of the past to collapse into ruin, and what can we learn from their fates?

As in Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond weaves an all-encompassing global thesis through a series of fascinating historical-cultural narratives. Moving 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, Diamond traces the fundamental pattern of catastrophe. Environmental damage, climate change, rapid population growth, and unwise political choices were all factors in the demise of these societies, but other societies found solutions and persisted. 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?

©2004 Jared Diamond (P)2004 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A thought-provoking book." (Booklist)
"An enthralling, and disturbing, reminder of the indissoluble links that bind humans to nature." (Publishers Weekly)

You will not see the world the same again

It started off a little slow but when you get into it your eyes are opened to seeing all life in a new way. I am going to listen to it for a second time because of the amount information was overwhelming. It has definitely made me rethink how I will live my life from this point on. Now I understand what they meant when they said that we are on an island called Earth. The stuff he talks about will affect all human life in the next 50 years. I see Earth's fragility everywhere now.

Collapse - A lesson in stewardship

I highly recommend Collapse. Jared Diamond delivers honesty, pessimism, and optimism when describing societies faced with problems in the present and the past. I hope that this book reaches a lot of people who do not know (but wish to know) how our collective actions can make or break our environment, and therefore our ultimate survival.

great research and examples

I enjoyed the example of Hispanola, the deforested side of Haiti v. the lush side of Dominican Republic. Sharp and precise example of Rwanda, coworkers killing each other, students/teachers also participated in genocide. Well told and balanced.

colossal

I found this book immensely informative. I noticed that THE ECONOMIST (Jan 15, 2005) reviewed this book, and found its message "gripping", and that "Mr. Diamond is the only man that could have written it". I await with baited breath Audible's addition of "Guns, Germs, and Steel" (Mr. Diamond's account of the rise of various civilizations)

Great book!

While this book is not quite as good as his last book, "Guns, Germs, and steel", it is still a brillent book. It is amazing how he pulls the research together in such a comprehensive way, and still making it such a joy to read or listen to. I recommend this book whole heartedly.

Provocative but...

Worth 3.75 stars, Collapse is Diamond's case for taking responsibility for consequences of actions at a societal level. It is well-researched, and well narrated, but it does come across as self-referential, i.e., cases identified to reinforce the theses. I am left with a nagging sense that there may be an opposing view that is not recognized or heard in the book. Perhaps, because it is an abridged version, the full book would be more satisfying.

Pleasantly Surprised

I greatly feared starting this book. Quite frankly, I was worried I would feel thoroughly hopeless after the reading. I was pleasantly surprised by the author's engaging overview of past cultures, their mistakes and the outcomes.
I appreciated the manner in which the author built our understanding of current peril while still offering hope for change. It is a galvanizing read.

Good

The written book was wonderful and very dense. This audio book is engrossing, but didn't like the flat style of the narrator.

I can't wait for his next book

Any additional comments?

A brilliant attempt to show how human nature is the same all over in all times. We are inherently driven to use up available resources and unless there are strong forces to restrain us, our societies will inevitably collapse. Serious food for thought for anyone who cares about the world we live in now and where we are heading. Not an alarmist book. Not a political book. This is a straight up empirical analysis of how human beings behave, separate from whatever code of ethics or morality we may pay lip service to.

Great content, lousy delivery

The message in this book is critical for our modern society. The author looks objectively at the dangers that face us. His reserach is exhaustive, and his conclusions are credible and interesting. However, the delivery was painful. I usually can't turn a book off, and I had to force myself to listen to this one. I needed to make sure I never listened when I was tired, and I had to take it in manageable amounts. I don't know if the reading didn't suit me, or the writing was not great for audio book. I do know that the book was worth listening to, but also difficult to make it through. It was like painting my house. I am glad I did it, but it wasn't always fun in the process.