 If you’re looking for a book to stretch the limits of your mind, read Jared Diamond’s book, “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed”. This book is incredibly relevant for the green scene because it illustrates past cultures that failed because of their own practices. The message gives you an eerie feeling of familiarity and impending doom. But “Collapse” also leaves readers with hope as Diamond showcases modern societies that fixed their self-imposed problems.
The book has four sections. Part one opens with Montana as the modern example, displaying the five main themes of the book: human impacts on the environment, climate change, a society’s relations with neighboring friendly societies, a society’s exposure to acts of other potentially hostile societies, and the importance of a society’s responses to its problems.
The second part of the book examines past societies and their failures. Even if you’re not a history buff, you will be fascinated. Diamond describes places both near and far, such as Rapa Nui (also known as Easter Island), the Pitcairn and Henderson Islands in the Pacific, the Anasazi and other Native American tribes in the Southwest, the Mayans, the Vikings, the Greenland Norse, New Guinea, and Japan.
Part three builds upon the history and lessons of the stories learned in the second part of the book and illustrates modern societies from four continents. The reader is able to slip into Diamond’s mind, thinking like a detective, noticing the clues. Inevitably, you will find yourself asking questions. This book is an active read; you can’t merely sit back and let Diamond do the thinking for you.
You might ponder questions these stories of modern societies bring up. Why is Rwanda’s genocide more than ethnic hatred? How can one side of an island succeed while the other slips into disaster (as is the case with Haiti and the Dominican Republic)? What will the consequences of China’s megaprojects be? Are there signs of hope?
In the final part of the book, Diamond ties everything together in a practical, optimistic, pragmatic approach. By the end of the book, you might feel like an expert. Diamond conveys his message with such ease and clarity that all of these stories become relevant examples that can be used in environmental conversations.
“Collapse” is an essential read for any eco-minded person. It’s a book that makes sense of our efforts to be more environmentally conscious, and it lays a path toward sustainability and living green in a way that gives hope for the future.
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