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Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (also titled Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive) is a 2005 book by Jared M. Diamon...
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Dec 17, 2009
Kenghis
rated it: 
The Pulitzer-prize winning "Guns, Germs and Steel" by this dude forever changed the way I look at history. And believe me, I am a history buff of sorts so this means a lot. Unfortunately, "Collapse" fails to measure up to that classic.
The real problem with Collapse isn't the research that goes into the thesis, or even the soundness of the thesis itself (though there are some qualms I have about how politically unstable Mongolia is or basing his analysis of cod fis More...
The real problem with Collapse isn't the research that goes into the thesis, or even the soundness of the thesis itself (though there are some qualms I have about how politically unstable Mongolia is or basing his analysis of cod fis More...
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(19 people liked it)
Dec 16, 2009
Gaff
rated it: 
I considered giving this book 4 instead of 5 stars simply because it can be over-dense in its detail and the style can be rather dry - but then I figured that says more about my stamina and laziness than about the quality of the book, so the book gets 5 and I get a 4 for effort. We're all winners.
So despite the headline-grabbing title, the author Jared Diamond - a cross between an Amish garden gnome and avuncular Glastonbury festival supremo if you go by his picture - tries its darn More...
So despite the headline-grabbing title, the author Jared Diamond - a cross between an Amish garden gnome and avuncular Glastonbury festival supremo if you go by his picture - tries its darn More...
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(19 people liked it)
Dec 16, 2009
Conrad
rated it:
Guns, Germs and Steel occasionally felt like monday morning quarterbacking, but Collapse is superb. In GG&S, Diamond tried to explain how technologies that evolved in some places did not in others, how some communities thrived due to excess food and more advanced agriculture, while others, perpetually on the verge of starvation, had to devote all of their time to dealing with that and thus didn't have time for building the Parthenon. The argument was not airtight - his notion of what constitutes
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(12 people liked it)
Dec 14, 2011
Ryan
rated it: 
In Collapse, Jared Diamond draws our attention to the following problems, which have "plagued" humanity throughout history.
1. Deforestation and loss of habitat
2. Overhunting
3. Overfishing
4. Soil degradation
5. Water management problems
6. Population growth
7. Increased per capita impact of people
8. Impact of non-native species
And now we face four more:
9. Human-caused climate change
10. The build up toxic wa More...
1. Deforestation and loss of habitat
2. Overhunting
3. Overfishing
4. Soil degradation
5. Water management problems
6. Population growth
7. Increased per capita impact of people
8. Impact of non-native species
And now we face four more:
9. Human-caused climate change
10. The build up toxic wa More...
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(7 people liked it)
Mar 20, 2011
Michael
rated it:
The halfway point review:
One question I've been wrestling with as I read, as I watch these societies move slightly past sustainability, as I read about societal collapse and the squandering of resources by the wealthy and then the inevitable cannibalism that always seems to show up in the last act, I keep asking myself how the environment became a "political issue." There's no question that environmental resources aren't infinite, yet it seems like the majority of people…o More...
One question I've been wrestling with as I read, as I watch these societies move slightly past sustainability, as I read about societal collapse and the squandering of resources by the wealthy and then the inevitable cannibalism that always seems to show up in the last act, I keep asking myself how the environment became a "political issue." There's no question that environmental resources aren't infinite, yet it seems like the majority of people…o More...
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(14 people liked it)
Aug 17, 2011
Charlie
rated it:
[2011 Update: I am re-reading this after not quite 2 years. I have come to regard this book as the best non-fiction I've had the pleasure of reading, and recommend it emphatically if you have an interest in any of the subjects in which I have it categorized on my shelves.]
A masterwork, better even than Mr. Diamond's Pulitzer-winning Guns, Germs and Steel. Collapse bridges the gap between anthropology and environmentalism, and critically connects each with our own welfare, both coll More...
A masterwork, better even than Mr. Diamond's Pulitzer-winning Guns, Germs and Steel. Collapse bridges the gap between anthropology and environmentalism, and critically connects each with our own welfare, both coll More...
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(5 people liked it)
Dec 16, 2009
Helga
rated it: 
The esteemed Jared Diamond, author of one of the most insightful and profound books of the previous decade: Guns Germs and Steel, tried to break the wave of his success on Collapse, a book about the failure of societies due to a laundry-list of (mostly environmental) issues. It’s too soon to render a verdict on the bearded Professor (unlike Paul Ehrlich and Rachel Carson) since he wisely chose topics which cannot be gauged within a human lifetime but the book itself was a real steaming pile of e
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(5 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
Irwan
rated it:
A great, readable book about past and present societies, their decisions regarding societal and environmental challenges that led to their collapse or survival.
On the side, I found the book very informative about the history of the societies. I particularly enjoy those about the Greenland's Norse(Viking). This book inspire me to expand my reading to those about archaeology and history.
One important lesson: ability and willingness to change core values (religious or secu More...
On the side, I found the book very informative about the history of the societies. I particularly enjoy those about the Greenland's Norse(Viking). This book inspire me to expand my reading to those about archaeology and history.
One important lesson: ability and willingness to change core values (religious or secu More...
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(3 people liked it)
Mar 31, 2009
Amari
rated it:
Extraordinary in scope. Makes the news far more interesting even than it already was. However, I withhold star 5 because someone should have run the manuscript by me. Many awkward sentences. Too many sentences that aren't, quite. Or that aren't by a long shot. Penguin? Editors? Anyone? Such a noble and otherwise impressive undertaking deserves better care before reaching the public. But yes. A grand and very fine book indeed.
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Jan 05, 2012
Will
rated it:
This is a major work. Diamond looks in detail at the factors at play in the demise of civilizations in human history, using a wide range of examples. He offers a framework in which to structure the analysis and looks in great detail at possible (and in many cases certain) reasons why various societies collapsed. He is not a one-note analyst. All problems do not fit the same mold. There is considerable nuance and common sense brought to bear on this examination. Foolishness plays a part, greed, c
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(1 person liked it)
Mar 12, 2008
Brooks
rated it:
I read this book over six weeks from February through March 2006. It took a lot of effort but was excellent. It is filled with excellent observations on different societies and why they failed or excelled. Much of his observations were new to me but were well documented and reasonable. In addition, to information on various societies was an introduction to various field methods of study that were amazing. So, he shows what is the current research into archeology (and all its arcane spec
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(2 people liked it)
May 26, 2008
Carolyn
rated it:
(this book is bigger than I thought...)
I'm finally done! I know, nine weeks later...
For a specific rating, I would say the content is 4.5, readability is 3. This book is definitely worth reading, even if you don't plan on putting in the effort to thoroughly read each section. The section on ancient cultures if interesting, but his level of detail is not necessary to understanding the main points of his book. For example, I found myself slightly skimming the paragraphs More...
I'm finally done! I know, nine weeks later...
For a specific rating, I would say the content is 4.5, readability is 3. This book is definitely worth reading, even if you don't plan on putting in the effort to thoroughly read each section. The section on ancient cultures if interesting, but his level of detail is not necessary to understanding the main points of his book. For example, I found myself slightly skimming the paragraphs More...
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(2 people liked it)
Nov 13, 2007
Davie
rated it:
Didn't get to the end, but it's finished in the sense that I got as far as I'm gonna go.
Four or five stars for the first two-thirds. I loved learning about the resourceful, entertaining, and possibly suspect ways some archaeologists use to try to figure out how people lived a long long time ago, even when those people ended up virtually destroying themselves and leaving behind little else behind besides garbage -- people who, with no compasses, no longitude, and no ships, traveled v More...
Four or five stars for the first two-thirds. I loved learning about the resourceful, entertaining, and possibly suspect ways some archaeologists use to try to figure out how people lived a long long time ago, even when those people ended up virtually destroying themselves and leaving behind little else behind besides garbage -- people who, with no compasses, no longitude, and no ships, traveled v More...
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(1 person liked it)
Aug 20, 2007
Richard
rated it:
The thesis here is that the success or failure of any culture depends upon five factors:
Climate change,
Environmental preservation or degradation,
The presence of friendly external trade partners,
The presence of external enemies, and finally,
That society's ability and willingness to respond to the previous four factors.
To develop his theory, Diamond discusses about a dozen different societies, past and present, which had experienced various combinati More...
Climate change,
Environmental preservation or degradation,
The presence of friendly external trade partners,
The presence of external enemies, and finally,
That society's ability and willingness to respond to the previous four factors.
To develop his theory, Diamond discusses about a dozen different societies, past and present, which had experienced various combinati More...
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(5 people liked it)
Jan 02, 2009
Mark
rated it:
Fascinating account of why civilizations died out, with important lessons for our current time. Much better reading than Guns, Germs and Steel, which was good but very repetitive.
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(2 people liked it)
Dec 25, 2008
Ma'lis
rated it:
Dense book, but fascinating information on how and why civilizations develop and then collapse with historical and present day examples.
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Feb 25, 2007
Lee
rated it:
READ THIS! If this book doesn't shake your intellectual and moral fibers, then something is wrong. It details the history of civilization collapse, and analyzes the environment and how its mismanagement translates to social conflict and collapse. This book transformed me from wannabe archaeologist to wannabe politician - because for the first time I saw that the archaeological record has definitive implictions for how we should live our lives and structure our social institutions.
Ho More...
Ho More...
Aug 04, 2011
MUST READ!!! Jared Diamond once again puts sense and logic to past and present and offers two futures. In many ways this book can depress you, Diamond analyses how past and modern societies, world wide, have collapsed, how they aware or unaware of it - committed collective suicide by either over exploiting and destroying their environment or by failing to adapt to their environment. However, The book is not all pessimism, Diamond also shows examples of societies that have came back from the brin
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Aug 04, 2011
This is surprisingly light going considering the subject matter. Still, it is not exactly beach reading. It is taking me some time to read, but is always fascinating.
Diamond provides a glimpse into the collapse (or prevention of collapse) of various societies such as Easter Island, the Vikings in Greenland, and the Mayans. Some of these people I had never heard of, and it was always worth reading.
The book becomes more gripping towards the later chapters, where Diamond outlines issues facing mode More...
Diamond provides a glimpse into the collapse (or prevention of collapse) of various societies such as Easter Island, the Vikings in Greenland, and the Mayans. Some of these people I had never heard of, and it was always worth reading.
The book becomes more gripping towards the later chapters, where Diamond outlines issues facing mode More...
Feb 28, 2009
Brian
rated it:
This is a difficult book to give one rating to. Some parts of it deserve four or five stars, some parts deserve one or two. Generally, Collapse lacks the consistency of Diamond's most well known book, Guns, Germs and Steel. Where Guns, Germs and Steel is nearly intuitive in the simpleness but universal applicability of its principles, Collapse is episodic and fractured. Diamond's basic thesis is that societies in ecologically fragile environments "choose" to succeed or fail based o
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Feb 05, 2009
Are we doomed, or can the next generation save us from ecological suicide? UCLA geography professor Diamond's provocative, interdisciplinary picture of social decline paints a bleak vision of our future. He writes well, has done impressive research, and tells fascinating stories. Yet, his thesis failed to convince many critics. He connects his stories with common themes, but often draws tenuous links between past and present, especially given today's use of technology and global markets to help
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Jan 19, 2009
Alex
rated it:
Not the masterpiece that I thought "Guns, Germs and Steel" was, but very compelling. During the first half, the author chronicles several societies that have collapsed, mostly because they squandered their resources. The parallels to today are not quite as chilling as they're supposed to be, because the circumstances are so different. Instead, I found these narratives chilling as stand-alone stories - the incredible degree to which luck determines the fate of an entire village, settlem
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Jan 01, 2009
Lucas
rated it:
Let me say the real score I’d want to give this book is a 3.5 or 3.75.
First, on a more superficial level, it could have used another round or two of editing. There are multiple occasions where he hammers home the same point multiple times for the same culture, particularly in Chapters 6-8 dealing with the Greenland Norse. This book could have been slimmer by a solid 40-50 pages without losing much.
Also, he rarely cites his sources directly in the text, often just referri More...
First, on a more superficial level, it could have used another round or two of editing. There are multiple occasions where he hammers home the same point multiple times for the same culture, particularly in Chapters 6-8 dealing with the Greenland Norse. This book could have been slimmer by a solid 40-50 pages without losing much.
Also, he rarely cites his sources directly in the text, often just referri More...
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Feb 05, 2012
G-nice
rated it:
Beware when a book so perfectly aligns with its elites' thinking. This eco-green book about stupid humans and how their environmental destructions leads to collapse of cultures is rather embarrassing after JD's brilliant Guns Germs and Steel. Much of Diamond's examples have been debunked. Easter Island people's survived well after the loss of their trees, which was caused by rats. Greenlanders did eat fish. Etc etc. JD's politics become explicit here
“The parallels between Easter Islan More...
“The parallels between Easter Islan More...
Jan 11, 2012
John
rated it:
Jared Diamond's "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" is as provocative, and as nearly riveting a read, as "Guns, Germs and Steel", which earned him a Pulitzer Prize. However, I don't think it is nearly as well written, since the quality of Diamond's prose regrettably varies from merely decent to rather eloquent throughout this lengthy 500 page-plus book. But more to the point, Diamond's argument that ecological downfall and economic decline are often one and th
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Dec 22, 2011
David
rated it:
This riveting book is a brilliant follow-up to Diamond's 1997 work Guns, Germs, & Steel, in which he examined why Eurasian societies have been more successful than others, due primarily to geographic factors rather than genetic, intellectual, or cultural differences. This book takes a deep look at why societies have failed in the past, why some in the modern era have met a similar fate, and what actions or decisions can prevent us from making the same mistakes of these other groups that could l
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Oct 14, 2011
Terry
rated it:
From the title and some of the reviews you might think this book illuminates the root causes of why great civilizations decline. In fact, Diamond only focuses on one possible cause of societal decline - environmental problems. His case studies were selected for this purpose, so you will not read about the decline of the Roman Empire, the British Empire, or the Soviet Union. Instead, you will read about the decline of the people of Pitcairn and Henderson Islands, among other footnotes in world
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Sep 18, 2011
Michael
rated it:
Diamond makes another significant contribution to our understanding of human societies. In his previous work, Guns, Germs and Steel, Diamond explored the factors that lead to the advancement of societies. In this work Diamond explores the factors that lead to the decline of human societies. By looking carefully at historical societies that collapsed such as Easter Island, the Native American Anasazi, the Maya and the Greenland Norse, Diamond carefully analyzes the environmental conditions and ex
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Aug 02, 2011
Dk
rated it:
An all-encompassing trip from ancient past societies to the future of our own.
Fascinating accounts of the failure of Easter Island (ending in war, cannibalism and population crash), Pitcairn (no-one left standing),and Viking Greenland (deserted cathedrals hundreds of miles from anywhere).
The leading causes are explored and compared with modern societies, for example misplaced cultural loyalties leading to both the collapse of Viking Greenland (dependence on European cattle in a totally inappr More...
Fascinating accounts of the failure of Easter Island (ending in war, cannibalism and population crash), Pitcairn (no-one left standing),and Viking Greenland (deserted cathedrals hundreds of miles from anywhere).
The leading causes are explored and compared with modern societies, for example misplaced cultural loyalties leading to both the collapse of Viking Greenland (dependence on European cattle in a totally inappr More...
Jul 28, 2011
Jakub
rated it:
This is one of the best books I have read so far. It describes several past societies that have collapsed in past ages in the first part of the book and gives examples of several contemporary societies that are in danger of similar collapse if they don't change and adapt.
Reading about the past collapses gives you a lot of uneasy thoughts - collapses did occur in the past, some of them could have been avoided but were not and were a direct consequent of the actions of the society. Steep decline More...
Reading about the past collapses gives you a lot of uneasy thoughts - collapses did occur in the past, some of them could have been avoided but were not and were a direct consequent of the actions of the society. Steep decline More...
