Pulitzer Prize winner Jared Diamond is rightfully considered the author of intellectual bestsellers. The New York Times even called him “the Dan Brown of nonfiction.” In this book, Diamond offers a new perspective on the history of human civilization, on the reasons for the rise and fall of ancient cultures - the society of Easter Island, the Viking settlements in Greenland, the Mayans in America , and also convincingly proves that many modern societies, primarily China and North America, are at a crossroads and in the near future must decide for themselves whether they want to continue to exist or are ready to perish.