In "Collapse" by Jared Diamond examines how the past of human societies have disappeared because they destroyed their natural environment by exploiting its resources beyond what he could bear. It seeks to understand the process to not repeat their mistakes. It places great emphasis on the key role of population growth. The book is exciting and deserves 5 *. Several remarks lead me to give it only 3. Despite its apparent credibility, his storytelling skills and aura of Uni teacher, Mr. Diamond did not always shown much rigor or even scientific knowledge. Among his examples, he speaks at length about the disappearance of the Greenland Norse, whose history as he reconstitutes does not really fit with his thesis because it makes them disappear because of their inability to tap the resources of the site (fishing ) and to change their lifestyle adapted to Scandinavia (cattle breeding), but not right in the Far North climate change. Apart from the unintentional destruction of forests by Greenland population accustomed to renewing trees faster, all bad frame with his thesis. Its another example of Easter Island, in which the population was too dense to local resources is also to be taken lightly. Research conducted on-site and published in "Amercian Scientist" by Terry Hunt, a professor at the University of Hawaii, specializing in ancient societies Pacific who originally supported the same thesis in fact shown that the population of the island at the time was very much exaggerated and that forest loss was due to more wildlife than humans and their statues constructions. Even more embarrassing for the credibility of the author, described falsely yet simple mechanism of climate change: greenhouse gases do not absorb sunlight, but instead let it pass! (P. 493). The agricultural engineer Daniel Tanuro made a list of approximations and inaccuracies of the book in the diplomatic world. His blog is still on line for those interested. What bothered me most in Diamond theses is his frenzied Malthusianism. Because he sees overpopulation as the cause of the disappearance of ancient societies (as his main example of the Vikings does not show at all that theory), he comes to justify China's policy of birth control and castration forced, described as "courageous" practice in his book. Readers who enjoyed the other books and Diamond were seduced by his arguments seem to overlook the worldview developed in "Collapse". The author is certainly not humanist and human rights are foreign. However, I recommend reading the book because of the many facts that there breaststroke narrator of his qualities and especially because it contributes to an important debate on the seriousness of the global environmental situation and the absence measures to address them. The solutions it provides are not, however, good: our modern world, nuclear, built on oil and excessive advantage is too different to draw parallels with the lost civilizations of the ancient or medieval past. His book "Guns, germs and steel" is on hand exciting and much better supported.
