The author, Jared Diamond, calls upon his vast understanding of history and its place in creating and changing
civilizations
as a reflection upon the present. He brings up four semi-mythical
civilizations from history: the Greenland Norse colonies; the Anasazi (North American tribe); the Mayans; and, the Easter Islanders. Against this ancient backdrop, Diamond compares the recent uprising and belated international interest in Rwanda.
His focus seems to be the rise and fall of these civilizations; how economies and societies first flourish in their respective environments, then fail, sometimes disastrously. These changes seem almost inevitable to the author. His book seems to be saying that collapse is the natural consequence of human ignorance of his place in the
environment, as well as the world at large. He posits that this leads us down the slippery slope toward self-destruction, that we are already stressing the ecological systems to their breaking point.
Diamond is a master of drawing the “big picture” of historical relevance for a readership who probably doesn’t have the time or reason to do the research themselves. He makes a strong case for how whole civilizations have, in the past, and may again, in the future, destroy not only themselves, but the environment they leave behind. We should learn from our collective past, as the saying goes, those who do not, are destined to relive it.
However, the learned scholar that he is, Diamond may be assuming too much from his intended audience, the general public, in the way he handles the subject matter. Too little about far too much overwhelms the reader with information that he uses to make his case. Ultimately, he seems to be warning us of things to come, such as global warming or other eco-disasters, but it may be over the heads of those who need to be convinced.