How Everything Can Collapse
A Manual for our Times
Raphaël Stevens author Pablo Servigne author Andrew Brown translator
Format:Paperback
Publisher:John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Published:3rd Apr '20
Should be back in stock very soon
This thought-provoking book examines the looming possibility of societal collapse, urging readers to confront reality and rethink resilience. How Everything Can Collapse offers a pathway to a sustainable future.
In How Everything Can Collapse, authors Pablo Servigne and Raphaël Stevens delve into the pressing issues surrounding the potential collapse of our civilization. They explore the myriad challenges we face today, from climate change to socio-political turmoil, and highlight how these crises might lead to a systemic breakdown of society as we know it. The authors argue that while many people are aware of these challenges, there is a reluctance to confront the possibility of a complete collapse within our lifetimes. This book serves as a wake-up call, urging readers to acknowledge the gravity of the situation.
The authors meticulously examine scientific evidence that illustrates the growing instabilities threatening our ability to sustain human populations. They connect these findings to everyday experiences, making the abstract tangible and relatable. By doing so, How Everything Can Collapse provides a valuable framework for understanding the complex interplay between environmental degradation and societal resilience. The book emphasizes the importance of recognizing that while collapse is a possibility, it can also be viewed as an opportunity for reinvention and growth.
Ultimately, Servigne and Stevens suggest that the future is not solely defined by the fear of collapse, but by our response to it. They advocate for a shift in mindset, where utopian ideals are replaced with realistic approaches to building local resilience and fostering sustainable living. Collapse, they argue, is not an end, but a new beginning that invites us to rethink our relationship with the world and each other.
"An explosive book that everyone should buy and read as soon as possible."
L'Obs
"This is not the kind of book you can read and put down with a shrug of the shoulders: it is a book that will overwhelm you."
Canard Enchainé
"This is an important book. The authors avoid apocalyptic scaremongering but present compelling arguments to show that our society is increasingly vulnerable to insidious but potentially devastating setbacks – and that, because our world is now so interconnected, any collapse would cascade globally. It will leave readers deeply anxious about where we are heading. But it deserves a wide readership among all concerned citizens – and, even more, among those who can influence policy."
Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal and former Master of Trinity College, Cambridge
"It's high time and a cause for rejoicing that this matter-of-fact, warm-blooded guide to societal collapse is now available in English. The sane, comprehensive clarity brought by Pablo Servigne and Raphaël Stevens will, I expect, liberate much practical ingenuity in the US and other countries. Four decades developing the Work That Reconnects and Deep Ecology Work around the world has taught me that confronting together our fears and losses with open eyes generates solidarity and collective intelligence."
Joanna Macy, co-author of Coming Back to Life: The Updated Guide to The Work That Reconnects
"If this crisis has taken most of us by surprise, French researchers Pablo Servigne and Raphael Stevens…can claim to have seen it, or something like it, coming. In their book, How Everything Can Collapse, they suggest civilisation is now vulnerable to a complete breakdown, and that the interconnectedness of modern societies makes that prospect more, not less, likely… today’s pandemic and its economic fallout confirm the authors’ arguments."
The Australian
"There's a tragic irony that this momentous book, which must have been written well before the coronavirus struck, is published precisely at this time."
Morning Star
"Prophetic"
Bookforum
"Whether you are just grappling with the need to think about the future for yourself and your family or are personally obsessed by dark scenarios for humanity and the earth, I highly recommend How Everything Can Collapse, even if the title (in English at least) might deter those who continue to relax in the soothing water of techno-optimism."
David Holmgren, co-originator of permaculture
"Fascinating… a refreshingly intellectual point of view, if not necessary a salve to the fears we read and see and feel every day."
TechCrunch
ISBN: 9781509541393
Dimensions: 206mm x 140mm x 18mm
Weight: 295g
250 pages