Book Recommendation: Collapse

Jared Diamond's 525 page epic, Collapse, was published in 2005 and has become more relevant every year since. The book is basically a chapter by chapter case study of past civilizations ranging from Easter Island to the Greenland Norse, explaining how each of their 'collapses' was highly correlated to the mismanagement of natural resources.

Towards the end of the book he relates the examples to modern day environmental issues, showing how we can learn to properly manage our resources by learning from mistakes made in the past. He address the role of big business as well as the responsibility of the individual in developing solutions to our current problems.

It might sound a little apocalyptic, but Diamond categorizes himself as 'a cautious optimist'. He presents both the merits and downfalls of past civilizations as well as modern examples of people working together to protect the environment.

My opinion: The first few chapters about the Polynesian expansion were fascinating. The section on the Greenland Norse drags on for several chapters and was not my favorite part. The political background on the mining, farming, and oil industries were very educational. I feel like I know more about soil erosion than I would have ever hoped.

Definitely a good read, I recommend it. I'll now be moving on to Jimes Michener's 937 page epic novel, Hawaii. This could take awhile.