Author: Jared Diomond

Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Reprint edition

Pub. in: December, 2005

ISBN: 0143036556

Pages: 592

Measurements: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches

Origin of product: USA

Order code: BA00574

Other information:  

The New York Times Bestseller and ranked #176 in books on Amazon.com as of November 28, 2006.

How a society manages its natural resources, and how it responds to climate and environmental change, can spell the difference between its destruction or survival; this is Jared Diamond's essential message in Collapse. Dr. Diamond, professor of geography at UCLA, uses the example of a number of civilizations that either died out due to poor resource management and climate change, or survived through recognition of these problems and comprehensively addressing them. The book brings to the forefront an important question: are we managing our resources wisely today?

Collapse begins with an overview of the book itself, and, among other things, highlights five factors Diamond feels contribute to the downfall of the societies he describes. While four of these five factors aren't always present, he admits, the fifth one, how a society responds to the other four (climate changes, environmental damage, hostile neighbors, and access to or fate of friendly trade partners), is always a major factor in a civilization's rise or fall.

After the introduction, the author begins his in-depth discussion with some of the environmental issues facing Montana today (esp. the Bitterroot Valley) and the impact these issues have on the local populace. From there, he goes into a short history of several past civilizations: Easter Island, Henderson and Pitcairn Islands, the Anasazi (a native American community that thrived in the southwestern US), the Maya, and the Vikings settlements in Greenland. He ends this section with a short review of successful societies: New Guinea, Tikopea, the Viking settlements in Iceland, and Tokugawa Japan. The following chapters are dedicated to some modern countries and their environmental problems: Rwanda, Dominican Republic and Haiti, China, and Australia. Finally, Diamond examines why failed societies made the bad decisions they did, discusses big business and the challenges corporations face in remaining environmentally friendly, and responds to common criticisms aimed at "dismissing environmental concerns" while contemplating where the world will go from here.

It is obvious that Jared Diamond knows his subject and has done his homework. His discussion of the current issues facing modern Montana comes from discussions he has had with people who live there. The chapters on past societies provide an overview of these civilizations and the evidence that supports their destruction (or, in the case of successful societies, their survival). The sections on modern countries and their concerns is also well researched and provide an excellent overview of the tragedies and challenges these areas of the world have confronted and continue to face.

In addition to his historical and contemporary expertise, Jared Diamond's past experience working with some corporations gives him another angle on environmental issues and allows him to provide another point of view that some other books on this topic may not address. While the author does not spare businesses that have made terrible environmental decisions, he also praises businesses that have made good environmental decisions, most notably Chevron's Kutubu oil field in Papua New Guinea. In fact, he points out how being environmentally friendly can be in the best interest of a company or corporation, especially when consumers demand such practices. Diamond also provides information on what consumers can do to influence business practices, and where to go for more information.

In the final chapter, Diamond describes a potentially bleak scenario coming upon us relatively soon if nothing is done. These possibilities are pretty extreme, and while I'm not totally convinced that the worse-case scenario is around the corner, he's convinced me that there's cause for concern and action. Diamond also offers a good amount of hope as well, and he himself is "cautiously optimistic" that we will solve our resource management problems.

Collapse is a very interesting study on the history of resource management, and a good warning to everyone about the possible consequences of failure. The book is well written, the narrative flows well, and the research seems thorough. It has succeeded in educating me about some environmental issues and has made me interested in digging deeper into this topic, a goal that I feel Jared Diamond had when he wrote Collapse. (From quoting Rob Knowles, USA)

Target readers: General readers

Better with Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies :

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