The Long Descent examines the basis of such fear through three core themes:
- Industrial society is following the same well-worn path that has led
other civilizations into decline, a path involving a much slower and
more complex transformation than the sudden catastrophes imagined by so
many social critics today.
- The roots of the crisis lie in the cultural stories that shape the
way we understand the world. Since problems cannot be solved with the
same thinking that created thyem, these ways of thinking need to be
replaced with others better suited to the needs of our time.
- It is too late for massive programs for top-down change; the change must come from individuals.
Hope exists in actions that range from taking up a handicraft or
adopting an "obsolete" technology, through planting an organic vegetable
garden, taking charge of your own health care or spirituality, and
building community.
Focusing eloquently on constructive adaptation to massive change, this book will have wide appeal.
Americans are expressing deep concern about US dependence on
petroleum, rising energy prices and the threat of climate change. Unlike
the energy crisis of the 1970s, however, there is a lurking fear that,
now, the times are different and the crisis may not easily be resolved.
