The Five Stages of Collapse - by Dmitry Orlov (Paperback)

About the Book

The Five Stages of Collapse provides a wealth of information and an optimistic perspective on surviving each stage of collapse with one's health, sanity and sense of humor intact.

Book Synopsis

During periods of disruption and uncertainty, sweeping cultural change becomes possible, laying the groundwork for social, economic and political revolution. The Five Stages of Collapse provides a wealth of information and an optimistic perspective on surviving each stage of collapse with one's health, sanity and sense of humor intact.

From the Back Cover

A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Financial, Commercial, Political, Social and Cultural Collapse

...one of the best writers on the scene today, working at the top of his game. There is more to enjoy in this book with every page you turn, and in very uncertain times, Orlov's advice is, at its core, kind-spirited and extraordinarily helpful. Albert Bates, author, The Biochar Solution

When thinking about political paralysis, looming resource shortages and a rapidly changing climate, many of us can do no better than imagine a future that is just less of the same. But it is during such periods of profound disruption that sweeping cultural change becomes inevitable. In The Five Stages of Collapse , Dmitry Orlov posits a taxonomy of collapse, suggesting that if the first three stages (financial, commercial and political) are met with the appropriate personal and social transformations, then the worst consequences of social and cultural collapse can be avoided.

Drawing on a detailed examination of both pre- and post-collapse societies, The Five Stages of Collapse provides a unique perspective on the typical characteristics of highly resilient communities. Both successful and unsuccessful adaptations are explored in the areas of finance, commerce, self-governance, social organization and culture. Case studies provide a wealth of specifics for each stage of collapse, focusing on the Icelanders, the Russian Mafia, the Pashtuns of Central Asia, the Roma of nowhere in particular and the Ik of East Africa.

The Five Stages of Collapse provides a wealth of practical information and a long list of to-do items for those who wish to survive each stage with their health, sanity, friendships, family relationships and sense of humor intact. Shot through with Orlov's trademark dark humor, this is an invaluable toolkit for crafting workable post-collapse solutions at the scale of the family and the community.

...Orlov does us all a great service by teasing apart the kinds and degrees of collapse so that we can prepare for what is likely and "dig in our heels" to prevent what is unsurvivable. Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow, Post Carbon Institute, author, The End of Growth

Dmitry Orlov was born in Leningrad and immigrated to the United States in the 1970's. He is the author of Reinventing Collapse, Hold Your Applause! and Absolutely Positive, and publishes weekly at the phenomenally popular blog ClubOrlov.com.

Review Quotes

"Profound insight combined with wry humor is such an incendiary weapon I am tempted to call The Five Stages of Collapse an "Orlov Cocktail". His delivery of hard truths laced with irony saturates us in seldom reported but extremely relevant facts about the world. He is one of the best writers on the scene today, working at the top of his game. There is more to enjoy in this book with every page you turn, and in very uncertain times, Orlov's advice is, at its core, kind-spirited and extraordinarily helpful."

- Albert Bates, author, The Biochar Solution

"Even if I believed collapse were impossible I'd still read everything Dmitry Orlov writes: he's that entertaining. Unfortunately, however, collapse of some sort or other, of some degree or another, is almost guaranteed. Orlov does us all a great service by teasing apart the kinds and degrees of collapse so that we can prepare for what is likely and "dig in our heels" to prevent what is unsurvivable."

- Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow, Post Carbon Institute, author, The End of Growth

"At a time when most talk about the prospect of collapse tends to wander off into vague generalities, Orlov's latest book offers a welcome dose of clear thinking. Compulsively readable, firmly grounded in real-world examples, and laced with his usual mordant wit, The Five Stages of Collapse deserves space on the bookshelf of anyone concerned about the future of industrial civilization."

- John Michael Greer, author, Green Wizardry

About the Author

Dmitry Orlov is a Russian-American engineer and writer who was born in Leningrad and immigrated to the United States at the age of 12. He was an eyewitness to the collapse of the Soviet Union over several extended visits to his Russian homeland between the late eighties and mid-nineties. Orlov lives off the grid, sailing his boat up and down the Eastern Seaboard and commuting by bicycle. He believes that, given appropriate technology, we can greatly reduce personal resource consumption while remaining perfectly civilized. He is the author of Reinventing Collapse and blogs regularly at Club Orlov (www.cluborlov.com).