Upheaval by Jared Diamond

UPHEAVAL by Jared Diamond is the latest from the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse.  Here, Diamond focuses on “turning points for nations in crisis.” To begin, Diamond sets a tone for the book by offering a rather gentle, patient explanation of what he hopes to accomplish with his text. In chapter one, he shares some personal crises and lists twelve factors (e.g., acknowledgment and acceptance of responsibility, getting help from others, and applying core values) related to the outcome.   He then indicates a parallel set of factors regarding nations in crisis and, in the following 6 chapters, discusses several pairs of issues like the “sudden upheavals” of Russia’s war with Finland and Japan’s contact with Commodore Perry or internal pressures and history in countries like Chile and Indonesia. The subsequent section reviews crises currently underway for the world (climate change, nuclear weapons, energy resources), for Japan (economy, demographics, Asian neighbors) and for the United States (political polarization, elections), culminating in an epilogue with “lessons for the future.” UPHEAVAL is a thought-provoking analysis that received a starred review from Library Journal, was recommended by Bill Gates, and featured in this interview on PBS Newshour: