BCIG Bookclub: “Collapse: How Societies Choose to
Fail or Succeed”
Clinical
Center (Building 10) Medical Board Room (Room 2C116)
“In ‘Collapse’ author Jared Diamond identifies five
factors that contribute to organizational collapse: (1) climate change, (2)
hostile neighbors, (3) alternative sources of essential goods, (4)
environmental problems, and most significantly, (5) a society’s
response to environmental problems.”
Reviewer
Michael J. Kavanagh on Jared Diamond’s “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail
or Succeed”
THE EVENING:
Kim Thompson of METRO Transit Authority will orchestrate a team of highly
talented neophyte quasi-plagiarists who will review Jared Diamond’s big book
that you might collapse under if you are not strong as if it were their very own
material. Then hopefully we will all go out to dinner and continue the fun and
the dialogue until we collapse due to any or all of the above cited 5 biomarkers
of collapse.
THE BOOK:
“Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed,” by Jared Diamond
BOOK REVIEIW:
http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/collapse/
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5:30 pm- 7:30 pm June 22, 2006
DESCRIPTION: Collapse
proposes 5 factors for success or failure of societies: (1) climate change, (2)
hostile neighbors, (3) alternative sources of essential goods, (4) environmental
problems, and (5) a society’s response to environmental problems.
Ancient societies such as Easter Island, Maya, Anasazi, and Norse Greenland are
examined in light of these factors. Modern problems in Rwanda, Haiti, China and
Australia are also examined. Diamond challenges such perspectives as “Technology
will solve our problems .” “We can always switch to some other resource,” and
“The First World has no business telling the Third World what to do.” He shows
how “responses to environmental changes” has proven to be most critical factor
time after time. Right responses to the environment have proved to be
pivotal. Globalization has made everyone more interdependent and now the First
World and Third World are all a part of the chain.
AUTHOR: Jared Diamond is a professor of geography at the University of
California, L.A. He began his scientific career in physiology and expanded into
evolutionary biology and biography. He has published more than two hundred
articles in Discovery, Natural History, Nature, and Geo magazines. His previous
books include The Third Sex and the Third
Chimpanzee. His most recent
book, Guns Germs and Steel was
awarded the Pulitzer Prize.
SUITABILITY:
Anyone interested in the subject matter of the book is most welcome to attend
this BCIG Book Club Event.
REGISTRATION:
As with most all BCIG events, registration is not required. Just show up happy.
NIH CONTACT:
Carl Leonard, 301-496-0191,
cleonard@lired.com
REFRESHMENTS:
Please bring refreshments if you wish. There is a cafeteria near our meeting
room. We may go out to dinner with the author in a nearby Bethesda restaurant
after the meeting.
BCIG WEB SITE:
www.nih-bcig.org
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audio
powerpoint