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History

Our David?

A plea to learn from history
by •
January–February 2026, no. 483

Goliath’s Curse: The history and future of societal collapse by Luke Kemp

Viking, $36.99 pb, 592 pp

Buy this book

ABR receives a commission on items purchased through this link. All ABR reviews are fully independent.

History

Our David?

A plea to learn from history
by •
January–February 2026, no. 483

To explain the great arc of human experience is daunting. In Guns, Germs and Steel: The fates of human societies (1997), Jared Diamond argued that environment and geography shape culture and technology, allowing some societies to prosper while others fail. In Sapiens: A brief history of humankind (2011), Yuval Noah Harari described successive revolutions that saw one variety of humans transform the planet. Harari lamented the decision to leave the hunter-gatherer life for agriculture; populations grew in number but became victims of regular famine, war, and disease.

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Glyn Davis

Glyn Davis is Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Melbourne. He is a former CEO of the Paul Ramsay Foundation and Distinguished Professor of Political Science at ANU. Previously he was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne (2005–18). His publications include The Australian Policy Handbook (Allen & Unwin, 2007) The Future of Australian Governance (Allen & Unwin, 2000), and Are You Being Served?: State, Citizens and Governance (Allen & Unwin, 2001). He gave the 2010 Boyer Lectures and has most recently published On Life’s Lottery (2021).

Goliath’s Curse: The history and future of societal collapse

Goliath’s Curse: The history and future of societal collapse

by Luke Kemp

Viking, $36.99 pb, 592 pp

Buy this book

ABR receives a commission on items purchased through this link. All ABR reviews are fully independent.

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