disturbances

Jared Diamond, author of the international bestsellers *Guns, Germs, and Steel* and *Collapse*, has transformed our understanding of the rise and fall of civilizations. Now, amidst crises raging around the world, he explores what makes some nations resilient and reveals the factors that influence how nations and individuals respond to enormous challenges. In a fascinating journey into the recent past, he traces how six remarkable modern nations—Finland, Chile, Indonesia, Japan, Germany, and Australia—survived catastrophic disasters and identifies their patterns of recovery. Looking ahead, he examines the risk that the United States and other nations, facing grave threats, are headed toward catastrophe.