The Upside of Down Catastrophe, Creativity and the Renewal of Civilisation

The world is on the verge of collapse but, perhaps, breakdown can create opportunities for the bold reform of our society and open up a way for the renewal of planet Earth. Taking a journey from the collapse of the Roman empire to the devastation of the 9/11 attacks, Thomas Homer-Dixon shows how to choose a better route into the future. Drawing on an astonishing array of disciplines, from archaeology and poetry to politics, science and economics Homer-Dixon's acute insights are imaginative and controversial. The first signs of global brekdown are already appearing: in the thawing wastelands of the Arctic, the volatile politics of the Middle East and the favelas of Brazil. The World is becoming perilous but as Homer-Dixon makes clear, an understanding of the emerging and complex systems of our world means that a catastrophic collapse on the scale of the Roman empire can still be avoided.