Goliath's Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse

A vast and unprecedented survey of societal collapse--stretching from the Stone Age to the age of silicon--that digs through the ruins of fallen societies to understand the root causes of their downfall and the most dire consequences for our future.

"Deeply sobering and strangely inspiring . . . Read it now, or your descendants will find it in the ruins." --Johann Hari, author of Stolen Focus

"Highly recommended." --Peter Turchin, author of End Times

Stepping back to look at our precariously interdependent global society of today--with the threat of nuclear war ever present, the world getting hotter and hotter, and the rapid creation of dangerous algorithms--one couldn't be blamed for asking: Will we make it?

Addressing this question with the seriousness it demands, Cambridge scholar Luke Kemp draws on multiple historical databases and the latest discoveries from archaeology and anthropology to reveal profound and often counterintuitive insights into why societies collapse, how those living through such collapses were impacted, and what it means for us today:

• Collapse is often a good outcome for most people. After the fall of Rome people grew taller and healthier than they were under the empire.
• Our picture of past empires is skewed by the "1% view of history," relying on evidence only from the wealthiest class.
• What we call civilizations are better referred to as "Goliaths" large societies built on domination that contain the seeds of their own demise.
• Inequality has been a key driver of societies becoming more vulnerable to collapse.
• Today, collapse is likely to be far worse: it will be global, long-lasting, and severe.

Goliath's Curse is not just a book about a few empires--it is a radical retelling of human history through collapse.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Published: 09/23/2025
ISBN: 9780593321355
Pages: 592
Weight: 1.29lbs
Size: 9.25h x 6.13w x 0.84d

Review Citations: Library Journal 03/01/2025 pg. 13
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2025
Publishers Weekly 07/21/2025