RiskSphere Book Club - EP 4: Jared Diamond’s “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed,” reviewed by Flavia Loner

Introduction

Welcome to the fourth edition of the RiskSphere Book Club review series, where we explore the literature about our complex systems and the forces shaping our world.

In this episode, Flavia Loner reviews Jared Diamond’s “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed” – a book that provides a deep analysis of societal collapse and resilience, drawing lessons from past civilizations that faced environmental, political, and economic challenges.

At RiskSphere, we often examine the interplay between environmental risks and societal structures, particularly as it relates to climate risk. Diamond offers historical insights into how societies either adapted to ecological pressures or crumbled under them. Understanding these precedents helps firms see current environmental and societal challenges in a broader context, informing our climate risk management strategies.

Summary

From Easter Island's first inhabitants to the ancient Viking settlers of Greenland, Collapse explores how different societies have flourished and fallen based on how they interacted with their own environment. Diamond argues that societies fail not just due to external forces like natural disasters but because of how they respond to resource depletion, environmental stresses, and internal conflicts.

According to Diamond, among the main causes of past civilizations collapse he identifies environmental damage, climate change, hostile neighbors, friendly trade partners, and society’s response to its own problems.

Key Points and Analysis

1. Environmental mismanagement: The main theme of the book is the idea that resource depletion and environmental damage can result in societal collapse. For instance, the deforestation on Easter Island led to a lack of resources for building canoes and homes, contributing to societal collapse.
2. The role of climate change: Diamond highlights how societies that can adapt to changing environmental conditions are more likely to survive, while those that stick to outdated and more rigid practices tend to be vulnerable to collapse. For instance, the Norse settlers in Greenland faced colder climates but kept using the same farming techniques they did in Europe leading to their collapse. Meanwhile, the Inuit adapted to local conditions and survived. As a lesson, today adaptation and innovation are key in the light of an unpredictable future.
3. The importance of leadership: Leadership plays a key role in the success or failure of an organization, as well as societies. Entities prioritizing long-term planning and resource management mostly do better than those focusing on present prosperity. This also applies to today’s leadership facing decisions on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
4. Globalization and interdependence: The book touches on how external trade relationships and interactions with neighboring societies can impact a civilization’s fate. If trade partners face their own crises or if trade routes are disrupted, it can lead to shortages and economic stress when societies are interconnected.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths:

• The book contains powerful lessons for today’s world, especially in light of environmental deterioration and climate change challenging readers to think about the direction society is taking and consider how we can avoid the mistakes of the past.

Weaknesses:

• It may be argued that Diamond overemphasizes environmental factors at the expense of other variables. As we see in our climate stress tests, even if the environmental aspects are crucial, disruptions are often the result of a complex interplay of factors (e.g., macroeconomic, geopolitical, unforeseen events, etc.). Therefore, the causes Diamond mentions are not mutually exclusive nor collectively exhaustive. Most times, they are deeply interconnected, which complicates efforts to isolate cause and effect.

Unique elements

One of the unique elements of “Collapse” is how Diamond frames his analysis through the lens of decision-making. Diamond makes clear how environmental collapse is not an inevitable outcome but it is something past, present and future societies can totally influence through collaboration, innovation and flexibility.

Recommendation

“Collapse” is a must-read for anyone interested in anthropology linked to?environmental risk management. Diamond’s book is particularly relevant for those in leadership positions as it highlights the importance of long-term thinking and adaptability.

Rating and final thoughts

4 out of 5.

“Collapse” offers profound insights into the vulnerabilities of human societies, both past and present. While its focus on environmental factors might feel one-dimensional at times, the lessons Diamond draws are essential for navigating our complex and uncertain future. In an age of climate risk and global instability, this book serves as both a warning and a guide for building more resilient societies, particularly for professionals working in risk management and climate-related fields.

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