Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis (Civilizations Rise and Fall, #3)

by Jared Diamond

well-qualified citizens are discouraged from running for government office;

Too many Americans are seeking to blame our problems not on ourselves but on others: favorite targets of blame include China, Mexico, and illegal immigrants.

That negative attitude deprives us of the option that so many individuals and countries have found useful in resolving crises: learning from models of how others have already resolved similar crises.

The spread of emerging diseases is an unintentional consequence of globalization,

Skepticism about science is increasingly widespread in the U.S., and that’s a very bad portent, because science is basically just the accurate description and understanding of the real world.

In short, Finland’s motto “Our geography will never change” continues to apply to every country.