• Collapse

  • How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
  • By: Jared Diamond
  • Narrated by: Michael Prichard
  • Length: 27 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,671 ratings)

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Collapse  By  cover art

Collapse

By: Jared Diamond
Narrated by: Michael Prichard
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Publisher's summary

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
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Collapse

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Captivating

In my opinion this book should be circulated throughout our educational system so all our future citizens are fully aware of our irrefutable global situation.

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Important info, but dry

The content, message and lessons to be learned were very interesting. I would say rather important even. However the narrator and narrative are rather dry and slow most of the time. A good read, but probably not digestible for everyone.

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Long and Informative

Good book, it was a very good look at historical societies that collapsed. Followed by how we as a global society are repeating similar mistakes. Worth a listen, just be ready to dedicate the time.

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Jared Diamond has done it again

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

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Excellent book

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

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Great approach to the global challenge.

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

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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

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