How to Survive the Coming Collapse of Civilization

How to Survive the Coming Collapse of Civilization

Author: Sparrow (American poet)

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780986050558

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Poetry. Literary Nonfiction. Environmental Studies. Hybrid Genre. Everyone knows that Western civilization (and probably Eastern civilization, also) will collapse within the next seven years. The question is: how will you survive? The answer is simple. Follow the advice below, explicitly. If you do so, you will weather the coming storms. I hope to run into you, and your newfound tribe, in a lily-rich meadow after the Apocalypse. Sparrow has reinvented the post- apocalyptic manual. Instead of advising his readers to stockpile food and kill intruders, he emphasizes giving your TV set a Tarot reading and finding rhyming names in the phone book. (There are many other suggestions: 268 in all.) Sparrow guarantees that following his sometimes-eccentric methods will enable you to survive the apocalypse, with your tribe of improvisational nomads. (The optimum number of tribal members is 14, he explains.) "The names that come to mind are S. J. Perelman, Robert Benchley, James Thurber and not just because they're dead. Or Woody Allen if he'd never made any films, just the little prose pieces. Everyone thinks of Sparrow (the poet and pop star) as a Communist Republican Jewish Tantrik Yogi Hippie more a symptom of post-modernism than a practitioner. Yet Sparrow] reveals himself rooted in tradition: New Yorker as sly wiseguy, a line going all the way back to our ur-ironist, Father Knickerbocker." Hakim Bey "Sparrow's harvest of advice, wisdom, fake wisdom, and miniature poems is eccentric and funny, yes, but also thoughtful, politically engaged, and generous: Sparrow sees our familiar world from another angle, he pays attention to its peculiar beauties, and he wakes us up. HOW TO SURVIVE is a pleasure to read, read aloud to a friend, and think about later." Lydia Davis "I love how Sparrow occupies time specifically my time. His genius is his pleasure and that pleasure is a roar and a sigh and a long walk against capitalism. I could read his thoughts until I die. I'm sure I will." Leopoldine Core "God knows we need this guide which is why He sent Sparrow to dwell among us. Is it Zen? Is it 'deterritorialization'? Has the world's navel ever been rubbed like this? If wit can save the world from itself, this collection of tricks, poems, and fake wisdom will surely achieve that. Even if wit cannot save the world at least you will die laughing as the gentle anarchist allows you to see what you always knew but didn't know you knew." Mick Taussig"


Book Synopsis How to Survive the Coming Collapse of Civilization by : Sparrow (American poet)

Download or read book How to Survive the Coming Collapse of Civilization written by Sparrow (American poet) and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Poetry. Literary Nonfiction. Environmental Studies. Hybrid Genre. Everyone knows that Western civilization (and probably Eastern civilization, also) will collapse within the next seven years. The question is: how will you survive? The answer is simple. Follow the advice below, explicitly. If you do so, you will weather the coming storms. I hope to run into you, and your newfound tribe, in a lily-rich meadow after the Apocalypse. Sparrow has reinvented the post- apocalyptic manual. Instead of advising his readers to stockpile food and kill intruders, he emphasizes giving your TV set a Tarot reading and finding rhyming names in the phone book. (There are many other suggestions: 268 in all.) Sparrow guarantees that following his sometimes-eccentric methods will enable you to survive the apocalypse, with your tribe of improvisational nomads. (The optimum number of tribal members is 14, he explains.) "The names that come to mind are S. J. Perelman, Robert Benchley, James Thurber and not just because they're dead. Or Woody Allen if he'd never made any films, just the little prose pieces. Everyone thinks of Sparrow (the poet and pop star) as a Communist Republican Jewish Tantrik Yogi Hippie more a symptom of post-modernism than a practitioner. Yet Sparrow] reveals himself rooted in tradition: New Yorker as sly wiseguy, a line going all the way back to our ur-ironist, Father Knickerbocker." Hakim Bey "Sparrow's harvest of advice, wisdom, fake wisdom, and miniature poems is eccentric and funny, yes, but also thoughtful, politically engaged, and generous: Sparrow sees our familiar world from another angle, he pays attention to its peculiar beauties, and he wakes us up. HOW TO SURVIVE is a pleasure to read, read aloud to a friend, and think about later." Lydia Davis "I love how Sparrow occupies time specifically my time. His genius is his pleasure and that pleasure is a roar and a sigh and a long walk against capitalism. I could read his thoughts until I die. I'm sure I will." Leopoldine Core "God knows we need this guide which is why He sent Sparrow to dwell among us. Is it Zen? Is it 'deterritorialization'? Has the world's navel ever been rubbed like this? If wit can save the world from itself, this collection of tricks, poems, and fake wisdom will surely achieve that. Even if wit cannot save the world at least you will die laughing as the gentle anarchist allows you to see what you always knew but didn't know you knew." Mick Taussig"


Collapse

Collapse

Author: Jared Diamond

Publisher: Penguin UK

Published: 2013-03-21

Total Pages: 608

ISBN-13: 0141976969

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From the author of Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond's Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive is a visionary study of the mysterious downfall of past civilizations. Now in a revised edition with a new afterword, Jared Diamond's Collapse uncovers the secret behind why some societies flourish, while others founder - and what this means for our future. What happened to the people who made the forlorn long-abandoned statues of Easter Island? What happened to the architects of the crumbling Maya pyramids? Will we go the same way, our skyscrapers one day standing derelict and overgrown like the temples at Angkor Wat? Bringing together new evidence from a startling range of sources and piecing together the myriad influences, from climate to culture, that make societies self-destruct, Jared Diamond's Collapse also shows how - unlike our ancestors - we can benefit from our knowledge of the past and learn to be survivors. 'A grand sweep from a master storyteller of the human race' - Daily Mail 'Riveting, superb, terrifying' - Observer 'Gripping ... the book fulfils its huge ambition, and Diamond is the only man who could have written it' - Economis 'This book shines like all Diamond's work' - Sunday Times


Book Synopsis Collapse by : Jared Diamond

Download or read book Collapse written by Jared Diamond and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2013-03-21 with total page 608 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond's Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive is a visionary study of the mysterious downfall of past civilizations. Now in a revised edition with a new afterword, Jared Diamond's Collapse uncovers the secret behind why some societies flourish, while others founder - and what this means for our future. What happened to the people who made the forlorn long-abandoned statues of Easter Island? What happened to the architects of the crumbling Maya pyramids? Will we go the same way, our skyscrapers one day standing derelict and overgrown like the temples at Angkor Wat? Bringing together new evidence from a startling range of sources and piecing together the myriad influences, from climate to culture, that make societies self-destruct, Jared Diamond's Collapse also shows how - unlike our ancestors - we can benefit from our knowledge of the past and learn to be survivors. 'A grand sweep from a master storyteller of the human race' - Daily Mail 'Riveting, superb, terrifying' - Observer 'Gripping ... the book fulfils its huge ambition, and Diamond is the only man who could have written it' - Economis 'This book shines like all Diamond's work' - Sunday Times


1177 B.C.

1177 B.C.

Author: Eric H. Cline

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2015-09-22

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 0691168385

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A bold reassessment of what caused the Late Bronze Age collapse In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the "Sea Peoples" invaded Egypt. The pharaoh's army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. No more Minoans or Mycenaeans. No more Trojans, Hittites, or Babylonians. The thriving economy and cultures of the late second millennium B.C., which had stretched from Greece to Egypt and Mesopotamia, suddenly ceased to exist, along with writing systems, technology, and monumental architecture. But the Sea Peoples alone could not have caused such widespread breakdown. How did it happen? In this major new account of the causes of this "First Dark Ages," Eric Cline tells the gripping story of how the end was brought about by multiple interconnected failures, ranging from invasion and revolt to earthquakes, drought, and the cutting of international trade routes. Bringing to life the vibrant multicultural world of these great civilizations, he draws a sweeping panorama of the empires and globalized peoples of the Late Bronze Age and shows that it was their very interdependence that hastened their dramatic collapse and ushered in a dark age that lasted centuries. A compelling combination of narrative and the latest scholarship, 1177 B.C. sheds new light on the complex ties that gave rise to, and ultimately destroyed, the flourishing civilizations of the Late Bronze Age—and that set the stage for the emergence of classical Greece.


Book Synopsis 1177 B.C. by : Eric H. Cline

Download or read book 1177 B.C. written by Eric H. Cline and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2015-09-22 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A bold reassessment of what caused the Late Bronze Age collapse In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the "Sea Peoples" invaded Egypt. The pharaoh's army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. No more Minoans or Mycenaeans. No more Trojans, Hittites, or Babylonians. The thriving economy and cultures of the late second millennium B.C., which had stretched from Greece to Egypt and Mesopotamia, suddenly ceased to exist, along with writing systems, technology, and monumental architecture. But the Sea Peoples alone could not have caused such widespread breakdown. How did it happen? In this major new account of the causes of this "First Dark Ages," Eric Cline tells the gripping story of how the end was brought about by multiple interconnected failures, ranging from invasion and revolt to earthquakes, drought, and the cutting of international trade routes. Bringing to life the vibrant multicultural world of these great civilizations, he draws a sweeping panorama of the empires and globalized peoples of the Late Bronze Age and shows that it was their very interdependence that hastened their dramatic collapse and ushered in a dark age that lasted centuries. A compelling combination of narrative and the latest scholarship, 1177 B.C. sheds new light on the complex ties that gave rise to, and ultimately destroyed, the flourishing civilizations of the Late Bronze Age—and that set the stage for the emergence of classical Greece.


Patriots

Patriots

Author: James Wesley Rawles

Publisher: Ulysses Press

Published: 2009-04-07

Total Pages: 410

ISBN-13: 156975599X

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'Patriots' is a man's action-adventure novel set in the near future, as America is torn-by a full scale socio-economic collapse.


Book Synopsis Patriots by : James Wesley Rawles

Download or read book Patriots written by James Wesley Rawles and published by Ulysses Press. This book was released on 2009-04-07 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Patriots' is a man's action-adventure novel set in the near future, as America is torn-by a full scale socio-economic collapse.


The Collapse of Western Civilization

The Collapse of Western Civilization

Author: Naomi Oreskes

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2014-07-01

Total Pages: 105

ISBN-13: 0231537956

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The year is 2393, and the world is almost unrecognizable. Clear warnings of climate catastrophe went ignored for decades, leading to soaring temperatures, rising sea levels, widespread drought and—finally—the disaster now known as the Great Collapse of 2093, when the disintegration of the West Antarctica Ice Sheet led to mass migration and a complete reshuffling of the global order. Writing from the Second People's Republic of China on the 300th anniversary of the Great Collapse, a senior scholar presents a gripping and deeply disturbing account of how the children of the Enlightenment—the political and economic elites of the so-called advanced industrial societies—failed to act, and so brought about the collapse of Western civilization. In this haunting, provocative work of science-based fiction, Naomi Oreskes and Eric M. Conway imagine a world devastated by climate change. Dramatizing the science in ways traditional nonfiction cannot, the book reasserts the importance of scientists and the work they do and reveals the self-serving interests of the so called "carbon combustion complex" that have turned the practice of science into political fodder. Based on sound scholarship and yet unafraid to speak boldly, this book provides a welcome moment of clarity amid the cacophony of climate change literature.


Book Synopsis The Collapse of Western Civilization by : Naomi Oreskes

Download or read book The Collapse of Western Civilization written by Naomi Oreskes and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2014-07-01 with total page 105 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The year is 2393, and the world is almost unrecognizable. Clear warnings of climate catastrophe went ignored for decades, leading to soaring temperatures, rising sea levels, widespread drought and—finally—the disaster now known as the Great Collapse of 2093, when the disintegration of the West Antarctica Ice Sheet led to mass migration and a complete reshuffling of the global order. Writing from the Second People's Republic of China on the 300th anniversary of the Great Collapse, a senior scholar presents a gripping and deeply disturbing account of how the children of the Enlightenment—the political and economic elites of the so-called advanced industrial societies—failed to act, and so brought about the collapse of Western civilization. In this haunting, provocative work of science-based fiction, Naomi Oreskes and Eric M. Conway imagine a world devastated by climate change. Dramatizing the science in ways traditional nonfiction cannot, the book reasserts the importance of scientists and the work they do and reveals the self-serving interests of the so called "carbon combustion complex" that have turned the practice of science into political fodder. Based on sound scholarship and yet unafraid to speak boldly, this book provides a welcome moment of clarity amid the cacophony of climate change literature.


The Collapse of Complex Societies

The Collapse of Complex Societies

Author: Joseph Tainter

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1988

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 9780521386739

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Dr Tainter describes nearly two dozen cases of collapse and reviews more than 2000 years of explanations. He then develops a new and far-reaching theory.


Book Synopsis The Collapse of Complex Societies by : Joseph Tainter

Download or read book The Collapse of Complex Societies written by Joseph Tainter and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1988 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr Tainter describes nearly two dozen cases of collapse and reviews more than 2000 years of explanations. He then develops a new and far-reaching theory.


All Societies Die

All Societies Die

Author: Samuel Cohn

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2021-04-15

Total Pages: 267

ISBN-13: 1501755927

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In All Societies Die, Samuel Cohn asks us to prepare for the inevitable. Our society is going to die. What are you going to do about it? But he also wants us to know that there's still reason for hope. In an immersive and mesmerizing discussion Cohn considers what makes societies (throughout history) collapse. All Societies Die points us to the historical examples of the Byzantine empire, the collapse of Somalia, the rise of Middle Eastern terrorism, the rise of drug cartels in Latin America and the French Revolution to explain how societal decline has common features and themes. Cohn takes us on an easily digestible journey through history. While he unveils the past, his message to us about the present is searing. Through his assessment of past—and current—societies, Cohn offers us a new way of looking at societal growth and decline. With a broad panorama of bloody stories, unexpected historical riches, crime waves, corruption, and disasters, he shows us that although our society will, inevitably, die at some point, there's still a lot we can do to make it better and live a little longer. His quirky and inventive approach to an "end-of-the-world" scenario should be a warning. We're not there yet. Cohn concludes with a strategy of preserving and rebuilding so that we don't have to give a eulogy anytime soon.


Book Synopsis All Societies Die by : Samuel Cohn

Download or read book All Societies Die written by Samuel Cohn and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2021-04-15 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In All Societies Die, Samuel Cohn asks us to prepare for the inevitable. Our society is going to die. What are you going to do about it? But he also wants us to know that there's still reason for hope. In an immersive and mesmerizing discussion Cohn considers what makes societies (throughout history) collapse. All Societies Die points us to the historical examples of the Byzantine empire, the collapse of Somalia, the rise of Middle Eastern terrorism, the rise of drug cartels in Latin America and the French Revolution to explain how societal decline has common features and themes. Cohn takes us on an easily digestible journey through history. While he unveils the past, his message to us about the present is searing. Through his assessment of past—and current—societies, Cohn offers us a new way of looking at societal growth and decline. With a broad panorama of bloody stories, unexpected historical riches, crime waves, corruption, and disasters, he shows us that although our society will, inevitably, die at some point, there's still a lot we can do to make it better and live a little longer. His quirky and inventive approach to an "end-of-the-world" scenario should be a warning. We're not there yet. Cohn concludes with a strategy of preserving and rebuilding so that we don't have to give a eulogy anytime soon.


How You Can Find Happiness During the Collapse of Western Civilization

How You Can Find Happiness During the Collapse of Western Civilization

Author: Robert J. Ringer

Publisher:

Published: 1983

Total Pages: 284

ISBN-13: 9780068596066

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Book Synopsis How You Can Find Happiness During the Collapse of Western Civilization by : Robert J. Ringer

Download or read book How You Can Find Happiness During the Collapse of Western Civilization written by Robert J. Ringer and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Are You Ready For Civilization Collapse

Are You Ready For Civilization Collapse

Author: Peter Legrove

Publisher:

Published: 2020-01-13

Total Pages: 118

ISBN-13: 9781660158898

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What are you going to do now your whole world has changed? Do you have a plan for the future? Are you going to take control of your life or is your situation going to control you. Do you need some help and advice to steer you in a different direction. You can't deny it your whole world has changed over the last few years and like it or not you are going to be affected. It is how you react to these changes that will determine your future. Now I am what I call an urban survivalist I have spent most of my adult life preparing for the coming collapse of our civilization as we know it. That is one of the disadvantages of falling in love with history at a very early age. In my spare time I kept finding out about early civilization, how they came and went and why. Nowadays there is a lot of talk about this generation seeing the end of western civilization, but as usual not many people are taking any notice. They still believe the government will help them. But if you look back in history you will find that the governments are the first to fall, so it is up to me and you to plan our survival. Being an urban survivalist I try to live in a very sustainable way and that means doing without some things or using a lot less of everyday things. Trying to live without the trappings of modern democratic society is extremely difficult, but you can use a lot less of everything and save a ton of money in the process. And then when civilization does decide to collapse you will not be thrown into a situation where you have to rely on a failing government for support. Living the future is about surviving the end of cheap oil. There are a few problems in the world and they all come together with hard to find oil, climate change and overpopulation. One of the differences between our civilization and past civilizations is population. Mankind's Achilles' heel is we are very good at reproducing ourselves and staying alive. In my view to survive the future you need to get away from areas that have too many people. The reason the world can support as many people as it does is because of oil. Oil makes life easy. Take away the oil and we have problems. So you do not want to be in an area where there are many people. The future doesn't look so bright so what do we do to survive it. To survive the future we have to look at what is not going to survive and live accordingly. Most futurists and historians seem to think that the huge metropolises we have created are not sustainable. Cities have been a part of mankind's existence but the planet is littered with the remains of cities that have not survived. In other places cities have been occupied for up to 5000 years and beyond. But some of these cities have had very turbulent pasts so maybe in times of crisis and collapse big cities are not the places to be. Without oil big cities will end up uninhabitable. There is no way they can survive. If the Saudi Oilfields collapsed tomorrow the cities would be very terrible places to live. The best thing you could do is just get out, but where would you go. Hopefully you would know somebody living in the countryside or in a small town. To prepare for the future you need to have a small village or town in the countryside a long way away from any big city that you can go too. With the collapse of the real estate market you should be able to pick up an old house and a couple of acres pretty cheap hopefully. Right now homesteading is becoming popular so more and more people are leaving the cities.


Book Synopsis Are You Ready For Civilization Collapse by : Peter Legrove

Download or read book Are You Ready For Civilization Collapse written by Peter Legrove and published by . This book was released on 2020-01-13 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What are you going to do now your whole world has changed? Do you have a plan for the future? Are you going to take control of your life or is your situation going to control you. Do you need some help and advice to steer you in a different direction. You can't deny it your whole world has changed over the last few years and like it or not you are going to be affected. It is how you react to these changes that will determine your future. Now I am what I call an urban survivalist I have spent most of my adult life preparing for the coming collapse of our civilization as we know it. That is one of the disadvantages of falling in love with history at a very early age. In my spare time I kept finding out about early civilization, how they came and went and why. Nowadays there is a lot of talk about this generation seeing the end of western civilization, but as usual not many people are taking any notice. They still believe the government will help them. But if you look back in history you will find that the governments are the first to fall, so it is up to me and you to plan our survival. Being an urban survivalist I try to live in a very sustainable way and that means doing without some things or using a lot less of everyday things. Trying to live without the trappings of modern democratic society is extremely difficult, but you can use a lot less of everything and save a ton of money in the process. And then when civilization does decide to collapse you will not be thrown into a situation where you have to rely on a failing government for support. Living the future is about surviving the end of cheap oil. There are a few problems in the world and they all come together with hard to find oil, climate change and overpopulation. One of the differences between our civilization and past civilizations is population. Mankind's Achilles' heel is we are very good at reproducing ourselves and staying alive. In my view to survive the future you need to get away from areas that have too many people. The reason the world can support as many people as it does is because of oil. Oil makes life easy. Take away the oil and we have problems. So you do not want to be in an area where there are many people. The future doesn't look so bright so what do we do to survive it. To survive the future we have to look at what is not going to survive and live accordingly. Most futurists and historians seem to think that the huge metropolises we have created are not sustainable. Cities have been a part of mankind's existence but the planet is littered with the remains of cities that have not survived. In other places cities have been occupied for up to 5000 years and beyond. But some of these cities have had very turbulent pasts so maybe in times of crisis and collapse big cities are not the places to be. Without oil big cities will end up uninhabitable. There is no way they can survive. If the Saudi Oilfields collapsed tomorrow the cities would be very terrible places to live. The best thing you could do is just get out, but where would you go. Hopefully you would know somebody living in the countryside or in a small town. To prepare for the future you need to have a small village or town in the countryside a long way away from any big city that you can go too. With the collapse of the real estate market you should be able to pick up an old house and a couple of acres pretty cheap hopefully. Right now homesteading is becoming popular so more and more people are leaving the cities.


The Final Empire

The Final Empire

Author: Wm. H. Kötke

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Published: 2007-11

Total Pages: 653

ISBN-13: 1434331296

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In spite of its tough message, there is much compassion and humanity in The Final Empire. Right away as you begin to read this work, you sense increasingly the grand perspective in Kötke's words. He is not speaking of anarchy. He is offering vital common sense. It's just that his meaning is so unavoidably political. And so much against what we have been taught all our lives: The materialistic values of civilization teach us that the accumulation of wealth is progress. The material wealth of the civilization is derived from the death of the earth, the soils, the forests, the fish stocks, the 'free resources' of flora and fauna. The ultimate end of this is for all human species to live in giant parasitical cities of cement and metal while surrounded by deserts of exhausted soils. The simple polar opposites are: the richness and wealth of the natural life of earth versus the material wealth of people living out their lives in artificial environments. This amounts to a direct challenge to humankind. A demand for radical change. A re-envisioning of our part in the community of life and the precepts of individuality. And Mr. Kötke provides a strong argument for this case. He traces the environmental scars of civilization through the ages. Empire after empire, desertification of the top soil winds its way around the globe in an erosive helix from China to India to Mesopotamia to Italy to North America. As radical as it may seem at first glance, The Final Empire is a necessary and sensible primer for the recovery of the planet. It blends a critical statistical analysis of our deteriorating environment with a positivism of hope for a post-empire age and a new whole-human relation to the living community of Earth. Dan Armstrong, Author of the Novels, Prairie Fire and Taming the Dragon


Book Synopsis The Final Empire by : Wm. H. Kötke

Download or read book The Final Empire written by Wm. H. Kötke and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2007-11 with total page 653 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In spite of its tough message, there is much compassion and humanity in The Final Empire. Right away as you begin to read this work, you sense increasingly the grand perspective in Kötke's words. He is not speaking of anarchy. He is offering vital common sense. It's just that his meaning is so unavoidably political. And so much against what we have been taught all our lives: The materialistic values of civilization teach us that the accumulation of wealth is progress. The material wealth of the civilization is derived from the death of the earth, the soils, the forests, the fish stocks, the 'free resources' of flora and fauna. The ultimate end of this is for all human species to live in giant parasitical cities of cement and metal while surrounded by deserts of exhausted soils. The simple polar opposites are: the richness and wealth of the natural life of earth versus the material wealth of people living out their lives in artificial environments. This amounts to a direct challenge to humankind. A demand for radical change. A re-envisioning of our part in the community of life and the precepts of individuality. And Mr. Kötke provides a strong argument for this case. He traces the environmental scars of civilization through the ages. Empire after empire, desertification of the top soil winds its way around the globe in an erosive helix from China to India to Mesopotamia to Italy to North America. As radical as it may seem at first glance, The Final Empire is a necessary and sensible primer for the recovery of the planet. It blends a critical statistical analysis of our deteriorating environment with a positivism of hope for a post-empire age and a new whole-human relation to the living community of Earth. Dan Armstrong, Author of the Novels, Prairie Fire and Taming the Dragon