On Tue, 1 Feb 2005 09:26:11 -0600, Dan Minette <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Maru Dubshinki" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Killer Bs Discussion" <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 10:09 PM > Subject: Re: 'Collapse': How the World Ends L3 > > > You have a point about oversimplification: In "Guns...", my primary > > grief was a lack of attention paid to how cultural and gov.'t factors > > contributed and developed the potential geography bestowed. (Anyone > > who has looked into, say, Chinese history will notice that a lot of > > the most original stuff was done not when the empire was prosperous > > and at peace, but during the Warring States period. SImilar examples > > could be adduced for much of Europe.) > > But I think the article is too harsh on 'Collapse'- I'm half way > > through it, and he seems to focus more on how the societies make their > > choices, which is what is really relevant, and missing from "Guns..". > > BTW: if you haven't read either book, and you have a weekend to kill, > > I can think of no better way. > > Was it wrong about the claims that were made? If not, then Collapse does > indeed have serious problems.For example, in the US, the percentage of > lands that are forests is actually slightly higher than it was 75 years > ago. Erosion is a far smaller problem than it was 75 years ago. On my > father-in-law's farm, for example, the amount of topsoil is now > increasing...and his farm is not atypical New technology has cut down the > erosion while yield per acre has gone drastically up. For the most part, > the air and water are far cleaner in the US than they were 40 years ago. > > I'll admit I have not read this particular Collapse book yet, although > I've read plenty in the last 30+ years. But, if the review is at all > accurate concerning the claims in the book, then it is based on a selective > gleaming of facts. > > Dan M.
The reviewer, Easterbrook, is so incredibly wrong in what he says about _Guns, Germs and Steel that I cannot trust anything he says about _Collapse. Years ago Easterbrook was a decent science columnist and reviewer but has done shoddy work in recent years. Gary Denton _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
