In his earlier bestsellers Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse, Jared Diamond transformed our understanding of what makes civilizations rise and fall. Now, in the final book in this monumental trilogy, he reveals how successful nations recover from crisis through selective change — a coping mechanism more commonly associated with personal trauma.
In a dazzling comparative study, Diamond shows us how seven countries have survived defining upheavals in the recent past — from US Commodore Perry’s arrival in Japan to the Soviet invasion of Finland to Pinochet’s regime in Chile — through a process of painful self-appraisal and adaptation, and he identifies patterns in the way that these distinct nations recovered from calamity. Looking ahead to the future, he investigates whether the United States, and the world, are squandering their natural advantages, on a path towards political conflict and decline. Or can we still learn from the lessons of the past?
Adding a psychological dimension to the awe-inspiring grasp of history, geography, economics, and anthropology that marks all Diamond’s work, Upheaval reveals how both nations and individuals can become more resilient. The result is a book that is epic, urgent, and groundbreaking.
##芬兰的经验是乌克兰应该汲取的 后几章没什么意思 3.5
评分##芬兰的经验是乌克兰应该汲取的 后几章没什么意思 3.5
评分##Diamond写这本书的时候82岁了——他在书里自己说的,他不说我还不知道,总以为他才六十来岁,然后自己吓了一跳,原来看Germs,guns and steel已经是十年前的事了。很显然,82岁的Diamond写这本书的时候,想着的是“要给地球留下点什么”。这本书讲不同国家应对危机的方式,举了七个不同程度上成功应对危机的例子,而最后两章关于现代的日本和美国,则是结局还未见分晓。最后一部分,则从国家扩展到整个人类所面对的危机。我的感想:1)一直觉得Diamond太啰嗦,这本书居然并不让我厌烦,大概每个国家的故事都讲得清楚,有新的知识点;2)具体故事比作者隆重推出的应对危机12点要好看,12点不是不好,但没有什么让人醍醐灌顶的新意。3)既然不觉得这本书啰嗦,我决定把之前没看完的上一本再翻出来。
评分##危机处理的框架对于深度分析作用其实不是很大,更像一本专栏合集。也许是期待太高吧。
评分##语言表达力、笔力很一般。史料老生常谈。谈发展趋势和应对,谈剧变,居然还在翻6、70年代的旧帐,对于软件技术、网络应用普及、IT业对世界形势的影响居然提都不提?也难怪,作者说了他不会用电脑...
评分##Interesting angles and analogies in reviewing the 7 selected countries, although no dedicated chapter to China (as it’s not one of the seven) it’s inevitably everywhere... Pleased and relieved with his unbiased attitude condemning Japan’s irresponsibility of denying its crimes in WWII. BTW another book using The Great Wave off Kanagawa🌊 as cover.
评分##这本书从个人的crisis出发,谈了国家层面的crisis,讲这个国家发生的历史,它的优势劣势,再按照factors related to the outcomes of national crises来谈论各个国家遇到的危机,我感觉历史的内容和很多角度都非常新颖。例如其中提到的geopolitical factor使得一些国家不可避免卷入争斗中。他对几个社会的问题的提出也很有总结性,我觉得Jared Diamond的书还是要边看边做笔记,因为信息量很大,而框架性又比较强,所以还是适合有笔记帮助自己理解这本书。这本书也是值得再读的。
评分##国家危机的状况解释和背景分析等都很不错,可作者一心想要把归纳总结历史事件当作社会科学来做定量分析这点难以接受,还一直说数据找变量,作为生理学家的基本素养呢?不过作者估计也不是正统的搞科学的,不然也不会写这么多文化相关的书。
评分##华沙一跪的Willy Brandt,出过大丑闻。他本身就有强烈的Socialist倾向,身边重要幕僚还是东德间谍,并且还陷入过性丑闻(美人计间谍)。他那一跪到底是反省NAZI还是跪舔华约,值得讨论。