Goliath’s Curse

Goliath’s Curse by Luke Kemp offers a radical retelling of human history through the lens of collapse, delving into what this means for our uncertain future.

This narrative spans from the dawn of our species to the urgent existential threats of the twenty-first century and beyond. It's grounded in the latest research and a comprehensive database of more than 440 societal lifespans over the last 5,000 years.

Why do civilisations collapse? Is human progress a feasible goal? Are we nearing our endgame?

For the first 200,000 years of human history, hunter-gatherer Homo sapiens existed in fluid, egalitarian societies that prevented any individual or group from claiming permanent dominance. This equilibrium began to shift around 12,000 years ago.

As we gathered in the first farms and cities, dependency on novel, lootable resources like grain and fish increased. The advent of more powerful weapons enabled small groups to seize these resources, leading to inequality in resources and subsequently, in power. Society started embracing more primal, hierarchical forms of governance, with power consolidating in the hands of masters, kings, pharaohs, and emperors, supported by ideologies that justified their rule. Thus arose Goliath-like states and empires, complete with vast bureaucracies and militaries, which came to dominate the globe.

What led to their downfall? From the early cities of Cahokia in North America to Tiwanaku in South America, and the great empires of Egypt, Rome, and China, increasing inequality and concentrated power hollowed out these Goliaths before an external shock precipitated their collapse. Although perceived as apocalyptic, these collapses often turned out to be beneficial for the majority of the population.

Today, we inhabit a single global Goliath. Growth-obsessed, extractive institutions like the fossil fuel industry, big tech, and military-industrial complexes govern our world, potentially leading to species annihilation via climate change or nuclear war. Our systems are now so rapid, complex, and interconnected that any future collapse could be global, swift, and irreversible. We face a critical choice: learn to democratically control Goliath, or risk experiencing a final, terminal collapse.

'A deeply sobering and strangely inspiring history of how societies collapse - and how we can still save ours. Read it now, or your descendants will find it in the ruins.' - JOHANN HARI

'Absolutely essential reading for understanding why past civilisations collapsed, and how to protect our own from the same fate.' - LEWIS DARTNELL