The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity, and the Renewal of CivilizationIsland Press, 2010 M04 16 - 448 pages Environmental disasters. Terrorist wars. Energy scarcity. Economic failure. Is this the world's inevitable fate, a downward spiral that ultimately spells the collapse of societies? Perhaps, says acclaimed author Thomas Homer-Dixon - or perhaps these crises can actually lead to renewal for ourselves and planet earth. The Upside of Down takes the reader on a mind-stretching tour of societies' management, or mismanagement, of disasters over time. From the demise of ancient Rome to contemporary climate change, this spellbinding book analyzes what happens when multiple crises compound to cause what the author calls "synchronous failure." But, crisis doesn't have to mean total global calamity. Through catagenesis, or creative, bold reform in the wake of breakdown, it is possible to reinvent our future. Drawing on the worlds of archeology, poetry, politics, science, and economics, The Upside of Down is certain to provoke controversy and stir imaginations across the globe. The author's wide-ranging expertise makes his insights and proposals particularly acute, as people of all nations try to grapple with how we can survive tomorrow's inevitable shocks to our global system. There is no guarantee of success, but there are ways to begin thinking about a better world, and The Upside of Down is the ideal place to start thinking. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 9 | |
A Keystone in Time | 31 |
We Are Like Running Water | 57 |
So Long Cheap Slaves | 77 |
Earthquake | 101 |
Flesh of the Land | 129 |
Closing the Windows | 153 |
Cycles Within Cycles | 207 |
Disintegration | 235 |
Catagenesis | 265 |
Baalbek The Last Rock | 297 |
Notes | 311 |
Illustration Credits | 405 |
Acknowledgments | 413 |
| 417 | |
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adaptive cycle American ancient ancient Rome attacks Baalbek become behavior boost Branko Milanovic breakdown build C. S. Holling Cambridge capitalism carbon dioxide causes century chapter China cities climate change collapse Colosseum complex systems country’s create crisis decades decline Development Earth’s earthquake ecological economic growth economists ecosystem empire's environment environmental EROI especially estimate forest fuel future global warming happen high-quality energy Holling huge human increase industrial Ingenuity Gap instance International John Holdren Joseph Tainter kilometers labor land Leeuw lives markets material meters Milanovic million national edition natural nodes nomic Organization output panarchy peak percent plants Policy political poor countries population problems production regions resilience rich countries Roman Empire Rome Rome’s Saudi scale-free networks Science scientists social societies Tainter technologies terrorists theory there’s things Thomas Homer-Dixon tion today’s trend University Press urban Western World Bank York