Five Stages of Collapse by Dmitry Orlov

by Dmitry Orlov

In the face of political impotence, resource depletion, and catastrophic climate change, many of us have become reconciled to an uncertain future. However, popular perception of how this future might actually unfold varies wildly from "a severe and prolonged recession," to James Howard Kunstler's "long emergency," to the complete breakdown of civilization. In The Five Stages of Collapse, Dmitry Orlov posits a taxonomy of collapse, offering a surprisingly optimistic perspective on surviving the sweeping changes of the day with health and sanity intact.

Arguing that it is during periods of disruption and extreme uncertainty that broad cultural change becomes possible, Orlov steers the reader through the challenges of financial, commercial, and political collapse. He suggests that if the first three stages are met with the appropriate responses, further breakdown may be arrested before the extremes of social and cultural collapse are reached.

Drawing on a detailed examination of post-collapse societies, including the Somali people of Africa, the Pashtuns of Afghanistan, the Roma of Central and Eastern Europe, and even the Russian mafia, The Five Stages of Collapse describes successful adaptations in areas such as finance, self-governance, and social and cultural organization. These fascinating case studies provide a unique perspective on the characteristics that determine highly resilient communities. Shot through with Orlov's trademark dark humor, this is an invaluable toolkit for creating workable post-collapse solutions.

Dmitry Orlov was born in Leningrad, Russia, and immigrated to the United States. He is the author of Reinventing Collapse and maintains the phenomenally popular blog Club Orlov.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Economics, Sustainability, Society, Survival

Unknown Binding

First published May 10, 2013

Reviews

[Laureen Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently 88 pages into this latest book by Dmitry Orlov. I stumbled onto the slide deck presentation of "Reinventing Collapse" years ago, and from that moment on, was absolutely hooked by his subtle blend of analysis, thoughtfulness, wit, and blinding sarcasm.

To that end, this book so far will not disappoint. From the big picture, to small details, Orlov pulls together disparate bits of information in a way that no other analysts do, and in a way that is far more thoughtful and philosophical than most of the other doomer/collapseniks do.

[Donna Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tedious read but with some interesting points. Disturbing. Too bad it was such a plodding read.

[Clivemichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well put together, ironic and darkly humorous with large doses of reality consciousness.
“The idea that wealth increases over time is contrary to the laws of physics.”
…usury makes financial collapse inevitable”
"The ruling classes...generally refuse to...allow the people to self-organise, experiment and come together... Instead...the officials are apt to introduce new draconian crime fighting measures, curfews and detentions, allowing only certain actualities -ones that benefit them- while mercelessly putting down any signs of insubordination. To deflect blame...also does its best to find an internal or external enemy...
'Democracy does not exist where ever a direct conversation between the ruler and any one of his subjects is no longer possible...
'There is a danger that the long road from oral culture to written culture to digital culture will end with groups of humans helplessly clutching their dead smart phones no longer knowing where they are, who anyone is or even where to have lunch."

[Scot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orlov stares the deep dark depressing imminent collapse in its face and laughs maniacally at it. So this book is definitely not for everyone, it is not at all a how-to manual for surviving collapse or even suggesting ways in which to avoid it. Instead, Orlov looks closely at the five potential levels of collapse from financial to commercial to political to social and finally to cultural collapse. He breaks down what they look like, why the seem likely to happen and what type of people seem most suited to flow through each type. After each dark but hilarious chapter he provides a sociological snapshot of a cultural community that somehow has greatly adapted to each type of collapse.

I really enjoyed the read and appreciated Orlov's style in addressing these issues. Again, I do not think this is for everyone, but if you are feeling courageous and ready to stare potential collapse in the face, than go for it!

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've skimmed through various survivalist manuals and YouTube channels and find some pretty innovative stuff when it comes to weathering times of scarcity, but I think there's an insubstantial body of work covering the implications of civil strife. Most of us in the English-speaking world learn about civil wars and atrocities from reporters. Those refugees who can speak a little bit of English often offer little more than pleas for aid. If prepper-types who have never traveled outside the country want to understand how it might unravel, I highly recommend Five Stages of Collapse. The author lived through the collapse of the Soviet Union and the chaos that followed so he offers an account of the meteoric rise of organized crime in Russia. This is where he has more credibility than some other writers on the subject.

I'm not a peak-oil guy. I have optimism in technical rationalism, knowing full well folks held the same hope in the days prior to the Great Wall a century ago. The fracking boom contradicts Orlov's predictions but be that as it may, I still think modern states are very capable of collapsing in on themselves without resource supply shocks (Yugoslavia, for example). He mentions a work called the Breakdown of Nations by Leopold Kohr and Anarchism by Will Kropotkin.

I very much like how Orlov uses case studies of how informal groups in ancient and recent history became resilient under conditions of failed states and upheaval (The Ik people of Africa, the Russian Mafia, the Pashtuns, the Roma). There are no gear checklists for survivalists in this book. The cases are reminders of how important inter-personal relations will be when states fail and the social media machine breaks down. The art of gifting, barter, reciprocity and saving face in clan relations become more immediately important than college degrees. He elegantly compares the coldness of impersonal bureaucratic/corporate services vs the humanity of local mutual aid groups. He explains how charity is considered an insult in many societies.

To paraphrase, a weak state is one where laws are passed but no one can enforce the. Spontaneous order emerges, like organized crime. People will have to learn to live among social predators like protection rackets and street gangs. Trust will be the most rare and valuable commodity and can only be earned. Orlov says much for atheism but he won't outright reject it. He recognizes that religion can be an organizing principle for bringing people together. He is skeptical of religion but "let's work with what we have."

Orlov's chapter on the Romani "Gypsies" of Europe is borderline racist but I guess that's his experience and he offers guarded admiration for their way of life in secrecy, prepping and ability to leave a hostile society at a moment's notice.

In the chapter on the Russian mafia, I'm now convinced that drug legalization is not the silver bullet for Mexico's or our ills. I still think we should legalize certain drugs but bringing order to the border towns will require either massive escalation or quiet dealings with the cartels. Maybe one day the feds may co-opt the armed groups like how the Colombian government co-opted the gangs.

I do question the author's whitewashing of the Assad, Qadaffi and Hussein regimes. He praises dictatorships as effective at holding back ethnic divides. For that, he loses a star rating.

Orlov compares societies based on their spoken language vs. literacy. He obviously prefers the oral tradition and goes off on a tangent about Universal grammar and a global alternative to English. I realize the idiosyncracies of English but come on, we're not about to learn Esperanto.

The Political Collapse chapter stands out. Orlov presents very astute observations on the rise and decline of the modern state. The chapter alone explains the concept more tersely than Martin van Creveld's epic Rise and Decline of the State.

The author plays down the Internet Revolution's ability to stand up to modern states. I agree in part. The internet may not sustain a revolution but it can certainly ignite the spark.

What survivalists can take away from this book is how to restore some semblance of order. Be warned that it won't be a confederation of hyper-individualist loners. There will be discipline, chain of command and consequences for insubordination. They should develop a simple and fair code of justice in their dealings and for their own members, as part of forming a post-collapse identity. I get that. In some areas of Afghanistan, the Taliban are simply murderers but in other areas where Karzai's administration are utterly corrupt, the Taliban represent the only honest brokers for two feuding parties to seek resolution.

The last case study on the Ik people of Africa are particularly disturbing and i won't go into it here but I definitely had my Joseph Conrad "Heart of Darkness" moment. The author's point is that humanity, altruism, family and compassion are not needed for biological survival, that humans have an immense capacity to survive by preying on each other.

[Antonio Vena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Non molto interessante.

[Tash · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF
Very interesting and intriguing opening chapters, speaking directly to facets of crises and rebuilding, but later doesn't quite elaborate on solutions or notable signs of collapse. Feels very tangential and author openly expressing anger at current state of the world.

Might revisit later

[Ray Foy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dmitry Orlov has made a career of commentating about the Soviet Union’s 1991 collapse and the likelihood of the US following that same path. He developed a taxonomy for societal collapse that he calls, “The Five Stages of Collapse,” and he has written and lectured about it for some twenty years. This book, The Five Stages of Collapse: Survivors’ Toolkit,” is his definitive expression of that idea.

Mr. Orlov’s Five Stages are especially germane to the status of collapse in our present global industrial civilization. While they likely have applicability to the general collapse of historical empires and civilizations, the current paradigm of an economy that requires limitless growth and does not recognize a finite world is given to being understood by the Five Stages. As Mr. Orlov says:

The difference is that this collapse will be on a completely unprecedented scale, and global in scope.

Larger discussions of historical collapse (also a very relevant study) can be found in Joseph Tainter’s The Collapse of Complex Societies and Jared Diamond’s Collapse.

The five numbered chapters in this book are expositions on the five collapse stages. These are: Financial, Commercial, Political, Social, and Cultural. Mr. Orlov begins by expressing each as a breach of a particular trust or faith that exists (and taken for granted) between society’s organizing structures and the common people. He then goes into essays on aspects of the organizing structure for that category, its origin and evolution, what collapse for it will look like, and how people might cope with its loss. He concludes each collapse stage chapter with a case study that illustrates his points.

I’ve read much of Mr. Orlov’s work in this area over the years and I found this book enlightening in the greater depth of discussion for each collapse stage. I especially liked the parts about the history and use of money, the importance of the family unit to cultures that endure, and the discussion of anarchy. I thought the case studies were well-selected and illuminated understanding of the associated collapse stage. These included how Iceland recovered from the 2008 financial downfall, how the Pashtuns have resisted empire, and how the African Ik tribe illustrates how collapse can lead to a frightening loss of humanity.

The Ik case study is especially disturbing and is taken from Colin Turnbull’s book, The Mountain People, which is probably a worthwhile, though dark, read.

What I like about this book is its exposition on a subject that needs much greater awareness among the world’s population. Mr. Orlov goes further in-depth here than in his other writings and presentations of the subject. He isn’t necessarily concise, however, and some of his supporting essays cross the line into rambling (or at least, more detail than is required and that’s why I withheld a fifth star in my rating). The part on language in the Political Collapse chapter is one such section. Mr. Orlov is a linguistics scholar, but he gave more information than needed here, in my opinion.

While I generally enjoy Mr. Orlov’s prose and how he offers compelling explanations of involved concepts with a touch of humor, sometimes he’ll make blanket statements for shock value. For instance, he says:

Charity is really a sort of imposed hypocrisy— a system of domination in which those who have the upper hand pretend to offer help in the most humiliating way possible.

I suspect there’s truth to this, but I would have to allow that charity surely exists, here and there, in a more honest form.

He also gets a bit more into criticism of religious belief and extolling atheism. Now he avers that religious/spiritual faith can be good glue for holding communities together and even resisting empire, but he is clear in saying its a useful delusion. He is certainly entitled to that opinion but some readers might be put off by it. Still, I consider this a minor criticism to an overall valuable work.

Generally, Mr. Orlov’s insights are keen and well-founded. I can agree that usury is a form of extortion and that modern finance is mostly mathematical obfuscation. And he notes two or three time, rightly I think, that

… the free market is completely reliant on a system of property law, a legal system that is able to enforce contracts and a law enforcement system that can deter economic crime.

While this book is an important one, be aware that the “survivor’s toolkit” part is not explicit. That is, you can deduce a toolkit from the information presented but it is not listed in an appendix or such. You won’t get a checklist here of things to do to prepare for collapse. You will, however, gather some valuable clues as to how the world truly operates and where it’s headed.

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such a good time reading this book. In part, because it succeeded in illuminating the question of what collapse looks like for the average person in a society, and, in part, because Dmitry Orlov is wicked funny, and smart. Despite the biophysical inevitability of the ultimate collapse of industrial civilization (only the "when" is the uncertain matter), the dominant society presses on as though faith in the myth of progress will save us from the fate that all other civilizations, all other over-extended animal populations, etc. have undergone over the long history of the earth. If thinking about the potential collapse of all that you've known up to this point distresses you, take heart that Orlov is a friendly guide to the taxonomy of collapse and he presents this work to give more choice than simply burying one's head in the sand. Besides, even if you're tempted to bury your head in the sand, you already have a glimpse of the world turned upside down. So fear not; you might as well know the grittier details.

[John Mccullough · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE FIVE STAGES OF COLLAPSE: SURVIVOR’S TOOLKIT by Dmitry Orlov

This is potentially an important book. The US is now in a period of decline with the usual signs of this decline, most especially an increasing and desperate need to reclaim what are perceived to be past glories, now lost by a series of imaginary scapegoats – gays, immigrants - legal or illegal – who are “not like us” and “too different,” “dangerous,” and all the other hob-goblins of “others” to blame. And we must return to these perceived glories, to “Make America Great Again,” by taking America “back to when America was America,” although how far back is never specified. 1950? 1920? 1860? 1692??? No matter – somewhere around “there” when America was “Great.”

Dmitry Orlov, who was born in the Soviet Union and whose family was allowed to emigrate – that is, thrown out to avoid contaminating the “perfect” Soviet state with “dangerous” ideas, spent his teen years and most of his life thereafter in the US. Thus, Orlov has the benefit of experiencing two different countries with rather different whole “systems.” Plus, he had traveled extensively. Orlov uses this experience, plus more, to discuss collapse as a process, viewed from the perspectives of social, and other, scientists.

Orlov claims that collapse occurs in 5 phases or stages, financial, commercial, political, social, and cultural; at this time we become some sort of sub-animal, a creature with more skills but fewer scruples than hyenas, jackals, snakes, and so on. By this stage, every human is a confirmed sociopath, not just politicians and venture capitalists. Orlov describes the failed condition and mentions a few remedies that the reader might consider to avoid personal disaster and death.

At the end of each major chapter there is an actual example that illustrates the particular phase. In the same order as the stages, the examples are: Iceland (which rebounded in a way the US, the UK and others did not and could not because of the problem of scale), The Russian Mafia, The Pashtuns, The Roma (Gypsies), and Colin Trumbell’s Ik of East Africa.

Orlov warns us not to rely on the usual institutions with one exception –religion. Otherwise he suggests that organization on the local level is the key to survival – in decreasing order of reliability – the extended family (three generations with a patron or madrona at the head; the nuclear family is insufficient), other relatives, neighbors, inter-neighborhood alliances. Other than that, others must win your trust before engaging in relationships – verify, then trust. He concedes nations are good at some things, mostly infrastructure. I worry about other things nations do best, like research, medical assistance, disaster relief, etc. Banks ought to be eliminated. Religion is a great organizer if it doesn’t become too powerful and a monopoly.

In one of the many asides, Orlov notes that English is an incomplete pidgin and/or creole, with a simplified (Saxon ??) grammar and replacement of most of the original words with Norman French words. BTW, he also notes that most of the Romance languages are creole languages, starting out as Pidgin Latin adapted to local languages, then expanded to form a proper creole language. As a second shot, he notes that English orthography is “a set of idiosyncratic renderings,” undoubtedly reminding us of the “cough/through/though” conundrum (and many other idiosyncrasies) that makes English into a letter-based pictographic system in which each word’s pronunciation is not immediately apparent from the spelling; other languages do better and are thus more efficiently and rapidly learned. Given this incompetent orthography and with the spread of the Internet, “Broken English” is becoming the international language.

The book is a long slog – 364 pages of small print and rapid-fire ideas, a few of which are referenced like a good scholar, but most are not. It took a while to read it, but it was worth the effort. I found that I might be an anarchist like the author, but with a number of caveats. A warning – the book can be a tad depressing. After reading it you will want to read something lighter, something like Capote’s “In Cold Blood.”

[Jan Bloxham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this for the author’s ability to frame things in unconventional ways, such as:

“Humans tend to develop large-scale, complex societies, which then all fail. A failed society fails to maintain a psychologically healthy sense of belonging to a greater whole, which gives rise to a certain consistent syndrome, first described by Wilfred Bion in Experiences in Groups and Other Papers. 25 When the dominant culture fails to produce a sense of belonging, the human mind regresses to a pre-verbal state, where it is ruled by innate, subconscious impulses that are common to higher social animals. Depending on one’s personality and situation, one or another of three major impulses described by Bion may come to dominate the behavior of the individual, and, in due course, the society as a whole.

When it comes to aggressive young males, the sense of disconnection produces in them a heightened sense of insecurity and anxiety, which directly affects the sympathetic nervous system. This may cause an animal to behave more aggressively, or, in the case of the human animal, to gather rocks and to find and sharpen sticks, or, technology and finances allowing, to purchase semiautomatic assault weapons and lots of ammunition. This process may then progress through several stages. The end result is the spontaneous development of a warrior mentality—a cultural universal marked by a desire to prove oneself in battle, contempt for death and a tendency toward what Emile Durkheim called “altruistic suicide.”

The pattern is the same among Homeric heroes, Mongol conquerers, Japanese samurai, European knights of the age of chivalry and Moscow’s bandits and racketeers during the violent 1990s. Meaning is created out of meaninglessness through heroic acts of violence performed in keeping with a code of honor. Inclusion in the elite group is achieved via violent rites of passage and creates group loyalty and a sense of belonging. The gun cult in the United States is a strong precursor to this development, and the sporadic shooting sprees are its individual manifestations. This tendency may develop to the point of becoming a mass phenomenon. If it does, it will annihilate the current ruling class and the process of aristocratic formation will begin anew.

Another subconscious impulse takes over the minds of those who feel themselves to be weak and vulnerable. Here the subconscious urge is an infantile desire to find and cling to a strong, lord-like father figure. In the United States, this impulse finds its expression in widespread adherence to organized religion with its invisible yet omnipotent leader. The illusion of serving the leader, together with the conviction that all that happens is in accordance with his inscrutable will, helps to reduce the anxiety that is born of helplessness and alienation. Rhetorical or physical attacks on those who refuse to follow one’s chosen divine leader offer a way to exclude those who do not belong, and to create a sense of solidarity, loyalty and belonging.

Lastly, there is a third subconscious impulse that has its roots in primate psychology, one that predominantly affects women: the impulse to ingratiate oneself into an imaginary group of superior individuals as a beta-female (or, in particularly sad cases, as a beta-male) in order to gain a sense of belonging. It manifests itself in the expectation of the emergence of something wonderful yet unborn, that will be the result of a successful mating between an alpha-male and an alpha-female. It finds its expression in the celebrity cult, via television programs and tabloids sold at supermarket checkout counters. Lower-class women follow with great interest the antics of the rich and famous: who is getting married, who is getting a divorce and, most importantly, who is pregnant, because, you see, one of these siliconed, Botoxed bimbos will one day give birth to our new Savior. Their sense of belonging, such as it is, comes from vicariously participating in the lives of people they consider their betters.”

I disagreed with many of the opinions, which is why it isn’t earning five stars, but some of them were both excellent original, making the book worth reading.

[Hypathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dmitry Orlov, russe émigré aux USA qui a vécu l'effondrement de l'Union Soviétique, propose une synthèse historique et anthropologique de la façon dont les sociétés humaines naissent, prospèrent et périclitent. Toutes les civilisations disparaissent et la nôtre, où les tâches sont dangereusement spécialisées, disparaîtra, cela ne fait aucun doute. Les cinq stades de l'effondrement sont : 1, l'effondrement financier quand les états ne remboursent plus leur dette, que le système bancaire fait faillite, 2, l'effondrement commercial quand les chaînes d'approvisionnement se rompent, 3, l'effondrement politique quand l'état-nation s'efface, 4, l'effondrement social quand les services publics disparaissent et que ce sont des bandes et mafias qui font la loi et la police, 5, l'effondrement culturel enfin, quand la solidarité sociale disparaît et qu'on ne peut même plus compter sur les siens, famille, cousins, voisins, eux aussi dans la survie immédiate.
Dmitry Orlov, anarchiste de droite, adopte un humour noir et un ton ricanant, propose quelques études de cas, pour nous dire que nous n'y échapperons pas. Et comment y survivre. Nous pouvons constater autour de nous des cas d'effondrements partiels : l'Argentine de 2023 en effondrement financier, commercial et politique ; des zones de non-droit hormis celle des cartels et des mafias en certaines régions d'Amérique du Sud ; des quartiers ou suburbs états-uniens et même français, délaissés par les services publics et où des bandes décident qui entre ou pas, organisent la surveillance et font la loi. Nous vivons donc une succession de petits effondrements localisés, sans oublier bien sûr le silencieux effondrement que tout le monde peut constater en étant un peu observateur, celui de la biodiversité sous la pression humaine et la destruction de ses habitats. A vivre obstinément contre la nature, on oublie que c'est toujours elle qui gagne à la fin. L'auteur propose en guise de solution, des petites communautés aux compétences généralistes, utilisant des basses-technologies robustes, peu chères et durables, donc résilientes et résistantes, en insistant sur le fait que la coopération a été la clé de la réussite des sociétés humaines aussi bien qu'animales.

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very intriguing treatise on the 5 stages of collapse, from Financial, to Commercial, Political, Cultural, and finally Social. The author gives examples of each stage of collapse, and provides a case study to back up his claims. I'll be rereading this sometime next year, after I've had some time to process the first read.

However, the author's extreme prejudices against any native speakers of English cloud his message in many cases. I thoroughly understand that the Western World has committed some heinous crimes against other social constructs over the past several hundred years, but the author seem to lay ALL of that at the feet of those of us for whom English is a first language. I cannot do anything now to change the actions of my English speaking ancestors, nor do I apologise for speaking English. I understand the author's own frustrations with the Finance-First stance the US government has taken, to the detriment of not only the USA, but the world at large when one considers how we all share the same financial and ecological dilemmas. To place the entire onus on the US public, however, is faulty and clouds the issues, particularly when ignoring that a fairly large portion of the US population would like nothing better than to see massive changes AWAY from government run by the Financial Elite and a return to sustainable and local communities.

I will be recommending this book, but not without some qualifiers.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

In spite of the gloomy subject matter, this is an entertaining and somewhat light-hearted read.

There are some areas where the author and I don't see eye to eye, but I still feel like I got a lot out of this and didn't find it offensive or anything. For instance, he attributes the present collapse that is in progress to declining natural resources and the inability of capitalist economies to put on the brakes in their consumption of resources. I would blame expansion of government over the last century or so and a growing climate of lawlessness.

Some good anthropological insights here. I enjoyed his chapters about the Russian mafia and about the Roma ("gypsies").

The Russian heritage of the author brings a perspective to these issues that is different in a helpful way from what we are mostly getting from US authors.

[Ture · Rating 4 out of 5]

most likely, you won't like this book. it is really controversial and provocative, until you realise that the reason why you find it controversial and provocative is that, being a quasi-normal western man, you have in some regards been brainwashed by pretty much everything you have ever been exposed to. i am sorry to say this, but its true. try to overcome your initial anger with this book and take it with an open mind, you may discover a thing or two.
luckily, Orlov has a sense of humour which helps digest these nasty words on paper. or maybe make it worse. who knows.
while i don't agree or pretend to know everything Orlov covers, there really are a few gems for a civilised westerner such as myself, that most probably will stay with my until my, imminent i fear, end.
good luck

[Logan Streondj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this is one of those books I'd give a six stars if I could. It's full to the brim with gems, great quotes, great stories, and wonderful life lessons one would never normally explore.

Very different perspective got to learn about Iceland, Russion Vors, Russian Mafia, Gypsy Roma culture, the Pashtun, the Ik and globalist politicians.

Definitely worth archiving for future generations.

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

His book on technology was better. For more on collapse, see San Giorgio's book "survive".

[Saturnberry · Rating 1 out of 5]

How to usher in communism.

[Diana Thoresen · Rating 5 out of 5]

essential reading for everyone interested in finance...

[Luís Garcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

(read in Beijing, China)

[Bishop Juneblood · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uh, wow this was so much worse than I expected.

[Corey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the title quite misleading. This was more of a history lesson than anything I would consider a "Survivor's Toolbox."

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book has great main ideas, proffering different kinds of societal collapse purportedly in sequence, from financial and commercial to political, social and lastly cultural. Such a framework of discussion is analytically useful, bringing more depth to an otherwise general topic. However, Orlov often goes off into seemingly tangential subjects like state religion and linguistics, at times rambling and ranting against the evils of hierarchical social organizations. Albeit these do add meat to the topic and the detailed case studies of various alternative cultures do provide insight, they are often too lengthy and possibly of interest only to academic scholars and anthropologists I reckon. The overarching sense I got from the book is that preparing in the conventional manner (i.e. stocking up on necessities and finding a safe retreat)is probably futile and it is best to get used to a more anarchic and violent way of life as society devolves into less complex groups like organized gangs and nomadic people. This is perhaps good mental preparation but pretty much impractical advice.

An interesting takeway is the notion that as modern society promotes the nuclear family and increase in singles causing the severing of extended family ties that were the core of social groups till recent industrial times, we are rapidly losing the social safety net provided by family and relatives, should the nation state fall apart and become unable to provide social and commercial services. Thus the logical implication is that the decline will not regress in a drawn out way from complex to simpler society, but could collapse quickly into a more primitive state, if we do not rebuild those close familial relationships while we still can.

[Janine Prince · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well known in the blogosphere for his hard-edged Russian take on collapse (dark humour alert), Dmitry rounds out his work in this field with this set of case studies.
There is a pragmatic and realistic context to this book which you may not wish to deal with. If you are ready to talk or think about the future of our society within the constraints laid down by energy restrictions (and eventually or regionally, total energy disappearance) then you may be ready to take on this book.
Dmitry is a great writer, he has a clear easy style and he logically structures his work so that even in the midst of complex ideas, readers can stay with him. In this book the topics and the situations are the hard work (particularly the last (fifth) case study which I wanted to argue against). That is one of the things that I most value about Dmitry's contribution in this field and that is that he holds a mirror up to our pampered lives and invites us to take a swing if we don't like what we see. I found that everything I wanted to argue against in this book was revealed as shadow-boxing with my own preconceptions, biases and egocentric wants rather than him or his case studies being wrong.
The case studies are well researched and he provides plenty of footnotes if you have the stomach to dive in deeper. This is not a doomer gloomfest he encourages a proactive ‘save what you value’ approach moving on from the insights that are revealed by the case studies.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not what comes to mind when one reads the title. It is only a toolkit for one who learns history and applies its lessons to current times. The author, Dmitry Orlov, is one of the best writers of non-fiction that I have read. Let me make this clear. If the reader is looking for a list of items to store and strategies for defense that is not the toolkit Orlov provides. He is not a prepper. He is a teacher and hopes we, his students, are paying attention and thinking for ourselves. We must be aware as he presents examples of the 5 stages of collapse and gives case studies in history that prove that these hard truths do occur. His facts are well researched and not just his own words. He gives advice but is not a doomsayer. He tells the reader that one must think for themselves, act on those thoughts and learn to trust ones self based on historical facts. He gives examples of collapse of all kinds of degrees so that we can understand what is occurring around us based on what has occurred. I was educated in cultures and their practices that I had never realized. It is an easy-to-read informational book. I recommend it to people who think.

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the early beginning of the present system to its end, Dmitry in easy to read and understand language describes how society collapse happens. Our highly prized efficient system is all more vulnerable to shocks be they financial or military. The whole edifice is holding on fossil fuels and other non-renewable natural resources and when those end, then what?

Dmitry offers a solution as in reliance on personal networks of family, friends and community same as acquiring practical set of skills. Also living as minimalist. After all the pathology of infinite consumption is psychological denial that something is missing in our lives, and that something is connection to other human beings.

Despite what we been taught humans survived due to cooperation rather than competition and this new idea of Nietzsche "Superhuman" is trouble in disguise. Well, my review doesn't do the book justice so go ahead and read it. You won't regret it - i promise you that.

[Tandava Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not something to read if you get easily depressed or nervous about the state of the world, but if you're feeling detached enough to take a look at how bad things could really get, it's pretty interesting with lots of food for thought. I enjoyed the specific case studies of societies that illustrate the different stages/types of collapse, though I would have appreciated it if he'd gone more in the direction of how we can adopt their adaptive traits in positive ways, since some of these societies are not otherwise good role models. The casual, slightly humorous tone makes it pretty readable, though occasionally gets a bit snarky.

[Michael Layden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Dmitry's writing, he has an enjoyable conversational style even if it is not a discussion for the faint hearted.
This book is not really one I would suggest to a "civilian" it really is more suitable for people who are already thinking about collapse. His breaking collapse into five different levels is a highly useful approach.
It doesn't suggest specific measures but instead gives a clear picture of how humans adapt under extreme stress. The message for me was that I don't want to see a collapse beyond the third stage.

[Jeff Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides, in reasonably compact form, the tools to recognize and understand the processes of social collapse. You will see these processes, so clearly outlined by Orlov, in any of the conflicts, declines, or stalemates currently in the news headlines. However it is also thought provoking in that it asks you to consider your own strategies for surviving such conditions. I found it a riveting read.

[Rhys · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were certainly interesting bits here and there. It reminded me of reading Taleb's The Black Swan - stories hanging on a loose theme.

The book peels off the layers of civilization until we are left with bare survival. I'm not sure, however, if the book 'lays the groundwork' for a revolution. It was more of a cautionary tale of our current trajectory.