This book is a real wakeup call for those people out there that think everything is great and the environment is being looked after. It examines several past civilizations that failed to live according to their conditions and within their resources. Although I found the comparisons became a little repetitive over 500 some odd pages, it is still an eye-opening and intriguing read.

This book should be mandatory reading for anyone who subscribes to the End Times doctrine. It requires no lake of fire in the Middle East to bring about our demise; we just need to keep doing what we're doing. Diamond's writing style is, at times, tediously pedantic, but he clearly outlines the criteria required for a civilization to collapse and supports his thesis with meticulous and fascinating historical research, with examples from around the world. Encouragingly, he also provides examples of civilizations that have achieved sustainability.

Great global overview investigating the collapse of different civilizations. Must reading! Problem lies in the last few long chapters when the author begins to ramble about the fate of our planet from major industries. That should have been left for another book which would have made this one even better!

One of the greatest things history has to offer is to realize major mistakes and to take measures to prevent them again. In "Collapse", we realize that more is at stake than most people perceive, when the collapse of past societies are examined with careful scientific evidence, and similarities are found in today's societies. In this well written book, we are taken on a journey from present day Montana (a mining environmental disaster) and then through past civilizations like Easter Island, Pitcairn Island, Henderson Island, then on to Mayan and Anasazi society, and then to Greenland and Iceland. We are shown what has worked and why, as well as what has been disastrous. One can only imagine what the person who felled the last tree on Easter Island was thinking when their livelihood was so interdependent on wood. The focus then shifts to modern societies and the practical lessons that result from current decisions. Hindsight is said to be 20/20. Maybe it is time we put on our glasses. A great read!

Whether you are a CEO of a Multi-National company, a dyed in the wool environmentalist, a happy-go-lucky consumer, a student, an old school it's not my problem, I'm doing very well thank-you hedonist, or even if you've never read anything other than romance novels or science fiction, this is an absolute MUST READ for every human being on the planet! If you can't read, or claim you don't have the time, listen to the CD audio version. Truly, Collapse by Jared Diamond is THE ESSENTIAL BOOK OF OUR TIME! Katherine G. MacRae

Very thought-provoking, good read. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in anything beyond the end of his or her own nose... My other recommendation is Can We Live 150 Years? by M. Tombak. Revolutionary!