Professor and author Jared Diamond explores past societies to discover why they collapsed and what we can do to prevent similar catastrophes in our modern age of globalization, technology, and climate change.

From popular culture to famous tourist destinations, we are fascinated by ancient civilizations and the ruins they leave behind.

Yet our interest in abandoned cities and collapsed societies masks a deeper anxiety about our own modern-day society — what if that collapse could one day happen to us?

In this book, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and professor Jared Diamond tackles the question of social collapse.

Using past societies as case studies, Diamond draws out practical lessons from history for the modern day.

As the climate crisis continues to worsen, Diamond suggests that our actions now will determine our future — whether we join past societies in a state of collapse or succeed in surviving for generations to come.