Upheaval

Turning Points for Nations in Crisis

By: Jared Diamond

Narrated by: Henry Strozier

A brilliant new theory of how and why some nations recover from trauma and others don't, by the author of the landmark best sellers Guns, Germs, and Steel and Collapse.

In his earlier best sellers Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse, Jared Diamond transformed our understanding of what makes civilizations rise and fall. Now, in the final audiobook 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 US and the world are squandering their natural advantages on a path toward 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 an audiobook that is epic, urgent, and groundbreaking.

©2019 Jared Diamond (P)2019 Recorded Books

Sounds too simplistic basic.

It is astonishing how ignorant the world leaders are. We, the people, we put them there and follow them. Some of these leaders, I would not hire them as employees because they would cause calamitous low moral/trust yielding non productive working environment. With the prism of an learnt man in his 80s, Jared Diamond, in this this book, is shedding light today's populist movements and their soundbite messages, ignorant leaders and their followers who pay the price sometime with their lives.

Diamond’s analysis countries that he knows well:
Finland,
Chile,
Indonesia,
Japan,
Germany
Australia and
The USA

He explains how these countries have coped with crises, is shot through with reflections on the fragility of democracy. It explores the crucial condition of taking responsibility (without scapegoating), honest national self-appraisal, a willingness to learn from other nations and a capacity to compromise, sometimes, indeed, to swallow the unpleasant truth.

A must read

Better than the NYTimes Review led me to believe

Despite a devastating NYTimes review, this book is pretty good. It starts out very slowly. I am a huge fan of Diamond's scientific work and his early books, despite the severe criticism of "Guns, Germs and Steel" by one of my anthropologist colleagues. However, I could have done without hearing about Diamond's personal crises with his graduate gall bladder research and his first marriage. When he got to the heart of the book, he was very interesting. I didn't know much about Finland nor Indonesia, but those sections were superb. The sections on Germany and Japan were less interesting. Like the critical NY Times reviewer, I wasn't convinced that psychological self help guides for people provided much of a framework for analyzing crises in countries. I enjoyed his descriptions of countries, despite the references back to the 12 or whatever items in the pyschologist's checklists for dealing with personal crises.

More opinions than anything else, very subjective.

Options, factual inaccuracies and dubious conclusions make this a difficult book to get through. The author portrays personal conclusions as absolute fact to the reader in a manner that comes across like a college lecture.
While it is an interesting premise, Diamond does not end up making a compelling argument.

Disappointed

I loved his first book, but this was disappointing. At times, it seemed a little like a travel log chatting about his trips and friends. His evidence was sparse except for "my friend told me......" His treatment of Chile seemed to be somewhat apologetic and blaming of Allende for Pinochet. His explanation of terrorism to be based on headline news without looking into its local aspects that most terrorism in America is from the radical right. I am not sure he even offered a definition or discussed state terrorism against the people.

Well reasoned!

I enjoyed thinking reasons for upheaval through with him. He icares well with his audience.