Post #200501 by Satan's Sin on Mon, Nov 28, 2005 7:10 PM

This is quite the co-winky-dink; I happen to be reading the exact same book. Can't put it down. Lot more interesting than I'd anticipated.

cristiki, you have summarized the author's conclusions about Easter Island accurately. I think his conclusions are reasonable. I think people on Easter Island will probably not like them, as it presents a history of people who deforested their island faster than nature could replace it in this relatively cold and dry place, and that lead to the collapse of their economy with resultant fussin' n' feudin' and cannibalism and desecration of the moais, never much fun to think about in one's ancestors, but facts is facts.

Wait 'till you get to the chapter about Pitcarin and Henderson Islands. It's even better. I just finished the parts about the Anasazi and Mayans this afternoon. It's beginning to seem that the main reason civilizations and societies collapse is lack of food, brought about by a combination of bad luck with weather and human mismanagement of the environment.

Can't recommend this book highly enough.