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History books.
pilsner:
I think you're being unfairly collapsist.
Spluff:
--- Quote from: pilsner on 03 Nov 2009, 19:20 ---I'm not sure what I'm enjoying more, the fact that you called a book called Collapse "collapsist" or the fact that the word "collapsist" has somehow escaped the purview of every dictionary of which I am aware.
Protip: when sneering at books, use words that exist.
--- End quote ---
You should have checked the german/english dictionary, which clearly defines collapsist as Zusammenbruchstheoretiker.
supersheep:
--- Quote from: Aurjay on 03 Nov 2009, 19:52 ---Its been awhile since I've read Collapse but If i remember correctly that's not what it was about at all. it was more about overusing your resources and then basically being left in a decline. I think the model he used was a town in Colorado or somewhere similar that basically poisoned their environment and couldn't sustainably live off it anymore. granted its been awile so please forgive me if im wrong but i really don't remember Capitalism being featured that prominently in the book.
--- End quote ---
My reading of what I've seen of Collapse is that the process of decline is inevitable and part of any society possible, which is obviously ludicrous. And capitalism is an unavoidable part of any book that deals with world systems of the past three hundred years, just as feudalism is an unavoidable part of books about mediaeval Europe.
To elaborate a little on the term 'collapsist' (one which I have regularly used and heard used in discussions on topics such as peak oil and other such fantasies), it probably would be more formally expressed as 'neo-Malthusian' - although that is a word with a meaning significantly less apparent from context. Claims that the world is reaching a sudden and unavoidable tipping point, and that we are all doomed, essentially. The peak oil fans are a perfect example.
Yayniall:
We are history
Xenophon had one of his books made into a [img=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Warriors_%28film%29]http://film[/img] and he's prettya pretty cool dude.
I'm more into first hand history books rather than books about history.
Surgoshan:
--- Quote ---peak oil and other such fantasies
--- End quote ---
What makes you think "peak oil" is a fantasy?
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