{"product_id":"9780865716094","title":"The Long Descent: A User's Guide to the End of the Industrial Age","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSeattleOil.com  \u003c\/b\u003e The Internet writings of John Michael Greer - beyond any doubt the greatest peak oil historian in the English language - have finally made their way into print. Greer fans will recognize many of the book's passages from previous essays, but will be delighted to see them fleshed out here with additional examples and analysis. \u003ci\u003eThe Long Descent\u003c\/i\u003e is one of the most highly anticipated peak oil books of the year, and it lives up to every ounce of hype. Greer is a captivating, brilliantly inventive writer with a deep knowledge of history, an impressive amount of mechanical savvy, a flair for storytelling and a gift for drawing art analogies. His new book presents an astonishing view of our society's past, present and future trajectory—one that is unmatched in its breadth and depth. \u003cb\u003eReviewed by\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eFrank Kaminski\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eWired.com\u003c\/b\u003e   \u003ci\u003eThe Long Descent \u003c\/i\u003e is a welcome antidote to the armageddonism that often accompanies peak oil discussions. \"The decline of a civilization is rarely anything like so sudden for those who live through it\" writes Greer, encouragingly; it's \"a much slower and more complex transformation than the sudden catastrophes imagined by many soical critics today.\"\u003cbr\u003eThe changes that will follow the decline of world petroleum production are likely to be sweeping and global, Greer concludes, but from the perspective of those who live through them these changes are much more likely to take gradual and local forms. \u003cb\u003eReviewed by Bruce Sterling\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmericans 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Long Descent\u003c\/i\u003e examines the basis of such fear through three core themes:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eIndustrial 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.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe 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 them, these ways of thinking need to be replaced with others better suited to the needs of our time.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eIt is too late for massive programs for top-down change; the change must come from individuals.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eHope 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFocusing eloquently on constructive adaptation to massive change, this book will have wide appeal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eJohn Michael Greer\u003c\/b\u003e is a certified Master Conserver, organic gardener, and scholar of ecological history. The current Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), his widely-cited blog, The Archdruid Report (thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com) deals with peak oil, among other issues. He lives in Ashland, Oregon.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New Society Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47027452215536,"sku":"9780865716094","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780865716094_p0.jpg?v=1763841044","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780865716094","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}