 |
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed Gloom and Doom: Part III of III
Gloom and Doom: Part I of III
Gloom and Doom: Part II of III
During part two of the Gloom and Doom series, we took a peek at the fantastic future in Ray Kurzweil's The Age of Spiritual Machines. His book focused primarily on technological and biological innovations said to be forthcoming in the next century, which could have drastic effects on the fate of Mankind. In this final installment of gloom and doom, I will be evaluating Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jared Diamond. Unlike the previous two books reviewed, Collapse seeks to identify a more familiar formula for the downfall of societies, asteroid impacts and intelligent machines aside. A brief conclusion to the Gloom and Doom series will follow.
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
As of February 25, 2005, Jared Diamond's Collapse, holds the number two spot on the New York Times Bestseller List for nonfiction. Quite a lofty accomplishment, even for an author who won the Pulitzer Prize for one of his previous works, Guns, Germs and Steel. It is obvious that Diamond has a large following, especially in the scientific community, but I have to wonder if it extends much beyond that reach. It could be that many readers, whether a fan of Diamond or not, were attracted to the initial premise, and bought a copy of the book under false pretenses (myself included).
As the grand finale to this series, Collapse seemed the perfect fit – a recently published book examining the pretext for why a civilization might fail, and even cease to exist. The dust jacket synopsis is tempting enough, and if I were looking in an airport bookstore for a thought-provoking book to read on a long flight, this would seem to be it. It appears to offer up that high caliber of reading, which cleans out the cobwebs inside our dusty noggins, allowing us to think freely without cultural or ideological bias. Alas, it did none of that.
That is not to say Collapse is not written well, or not an easy read. Among scientists, Diamond is probably one of the few who can explain complicated natural concepts without much effort, and we actually understand the context within which he is speaking. However, he does occasionally pander to the simpleton. For instance, when mentioning dendrochronology (the study of tree rings), he feels it necessary to mention that this is the job of a Dendrochronologist. Several examples like this appear throughout various chapters, and after some time you ask yourself, did my age suddenly dwindle to that of a ten-year-old? I suppose keeping an even balance is a tough task, and it is better to err on the side of caution – especially if you are the editor.
Collapse is divided into four parts, Modern Montana, Past Societies, Modern Societies and Practical Lessons. It starts strong with the analysis of Montana's diverse landscape, business economics and community values. Diamond is at an advantage because he has personal ties to several key figures living in the state and he can deliver convincing arguments, thanks in part to those relationships. I was at first suspect of his choosing Montana, believing it was solely as a result of his common knowledge of the state's framework. However, after discussing the many difficulties faced by the community and political leaders, it became clear this was a well-deserved case study. State senator Rick Liable confides in Diamond that several decades ago Montana was among the top 10 U.S. states in its per-capita income, in contrast to the present, where it now ranks 49 out of 50.
Diamond is not arrogant enough to believe Montana is ample evidence of an imminent collapse of the entire United States, but it does make an interesting introduction to the material. Unfortunately, this is where the interest ends. The prologue begins by highlighting five key factors contributing to the failure of any society, and the author uses these throughout the book when studying several civilizations, past and present. Yet, an agenda slowly rises out of the primordial ooze, which Diamond abhorrently denies will not happen in his prologue. He is a closet environmentalist. Even though five factors can contribute to the demise of indigenous peoples, only one takes center stage, and that is deforestation. We have now moved from a fascinating basis for further exploration to biased assertions.
The later two-thirds of the book become a diatribe on the effects of mismanagement of natural resources through deforestation and overpopulation. Of all the archeological evidence collected on societies across the globe throughout the last few thousand years, are we truly to believe erroneous logging and farming techniques were the primary catalyst for failure? The majority of historians, economists, archeologists, sociologists, politicians and biologists would tend to disagree. Diamond is not ignorant of that fact, pointing out several times that his conclusions are not the norm. The worst part is that readers will not recognize the bait-and-switch swindle until they have finished reading the final page.
This is most disappointing since Diamond has an expanse of groundwork under his belt. It is clear he has visited and studied in wonderful detail the locations he writes about. Typically, we are privy then to a substantial amount of remarkable information, accessible only to a privileged few. Although, in Collapse, it penetrates like an encyclopedia, presented for informational purposes only. I found myself wanting so much more, hoping with all this compound knowledge the author possesses, that he would share it with enthusiasm. For example, his studies of Easter Islanders, Mayans and the Vikings all have great potential for fascinating discussion, yet Diamond ends up with the same convoluted conclusions. Best summed up as "Man come, Man conquer, Man flourish, Man squander, Man die."
In part four, there was an honest attempt to deliver helpful advice and suggestions for improving our overall living conditions. With his vast experience over the past thirty years, Diamond has insider information and he does consider several options without preaching. His contrast of two successful oil companies, one wreaking havoc on the environment and the other sustaining the surrounding habitat is enough to give the reader an opportunity for reflection. This was one of only a few diversions from the normal pace of his writing and it was a welcome change.
All things considered, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed is not terrible, it just ceases to elicit any reaction other than "ho hum". It is quite obvious that if we do not carefully manage our resources we can end up in dire straights. If Jared Diamond had not confined us to that single point of contention, his book would make more than a good coffee table ornament.
Gloom and Doom Series Conclusion
I cannot stress enough how much potential these works of nonfiction have in helping generate rational discussions regarding the collapse of modern day societies. Diamond and many others sense that several countries are fractured and tearing at the seams, even the United States. At the present, the value of the American dollar exponentially weakens in comparison to the Euro, and fluctuating political tensions throughout the world have a devastating effect on our financial well-being. Yet, the destructive undercurrent is oversimplified to include merely environmental concerns or cultural struggles. I am also amazed that we can focus so much energy on ridiculous gloom and doom claims such as invading extraterrestrials and rampant rebelling robots. We quickly lose sight of everyday reality.
It is easy to see how we are misguided when several outlets stream flawed facts and fictitious information 24/7. Our attention is diverted daily to the gravest struggles facing the human race and we are left wondering if there is time enough to fix it all, or is it too late. We have to consider the dire consequences of waging war on foreign soil one day and then stress about toxic garbage dumped in our local water supply the next day. If we pay too close attention to one or the other, the greater picture fades and we hang on to what is most familiar. Solving problems plays second fiddle to what serves us best and then we are left with the aftermath of true gloom and doom. Nobody prospers and all we manage to hear are the somber lyrics "this is the end," sung by Jim Morrison and The Doors. If you have never listened, take the time and I am sure you will share the same sentiments.
So what are we to do? We are separated by religion, race, borders, classes, cultures, politics, economics... the number of divides can often times be too great to cross. In all sincerity, it can be more appealing to consider an asteroid wiping us from the face of the Earth, and then no one would have to claim responsibility for our screw-ups. Maybe that is why we spend so much time filling our brains with that mush, because then we can ignore the truth – that we are not so different after all. We are human. We make mistakes. We are mortal. Recognizing that unpretentious commonality with a greater sense of awe may just be the starting point we need.
|
