The Most Important Book of the Year

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

Yes, it's only February, but the odds that someone will write a book more important than this one anytime in the near future are pretty low. Those who dismiss Diamond as a "determinist" ignore the whole point of this book: Societies don't fail or succeed based on their surroundings. They fail or succeed based on how they interact with those surroundings. Societies that adapt their values and practices to match what their environment can provide to them on a sustainable basis thrive; those that persist in practices that deplete their resources ultimately fail. He backs this notion up with examples from the past and present that are both fascinating and compelling.

But Diamond's remarkable insight is this: For the first time in human history, we have the ability to see our resource use--and depletion--on a global scale, and to recognize how our actions impact others and how their actions impact us. We can harness this new knowledge to sustain our planet, or we can continue on a path that leads nowhere but ruin. Some may not like that message, but Diamond is both honest about how he arrives at his conclusions and optimistic that humanity can solve its problems. It's not overstating the case to say that the higher the number of people who read this well-researched and well-reasoned book, the more warranted Diamond's optimism will be. If you've got the time, read Guns, Germs and Steel first; these two work best together.