Collapse is a fascinating book offering reasons why civilizations have failed in the past. The Mayans, Easter Islanders and Greenland Norse each encountered complex problems that eventually became catastrophic. Jared Diamond offers no simplistic explanation but describes a number of causes, such as climate change, geography and psychological flaws, which can reinforce one another and lead to disaster. The author does not take an overly pro-environmental stance, recognizing that industry has a vital role to play in protecting our world. He provides a valuable lesson from history that current and future generations would do well to practice. The author also gives examples of present day societies on the verge of collapse. He cites China as a main example. China is destroying its environment at an alarming rate in order to sustain its growth. It has very limited natural water, with its once mighty Yellow River now dry for almost 200 days out of the year. Its cities are the most polluted in the world. Furthermore, China receives money from foreign governments to bury their toxic waste. It is not uncommon to see Chinese people wearing masks in the streets to protect their lungs against the world's worst urban air pollution. Overall, Diamond does an excellent job of keeping an open mind, and seeing the world, and previous worlds and what became or is to come of them.