Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Collapse:How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive, by Jared Diamond

This is a book I've long meant to read, but for some reason always put it off. Truth to tell, I'm a very lazy person and it seemed the subject matter would be difficult and complex to grasp. I didn't want to make the intellectual effort.

Alas, once I'd opened the first page I was hooked. This is an awesome book, and it follows what I've thought for a long time.

The basic premise of the book is how much of the advanced Western economy can the environment carry on its back?

Many economists and politicians think there is no limit. Jared Diamond describes those limits.

The section on Australia was particularly fascinating. All Australians should read this book, just to see our environment put in a global context. We live in a very fragile environment here.

Jared Diamond is refreshingly free of ideology and cant. He approaches problems from a common sense perspective.

I trust what he says.

Highly recommended!

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