NON-FICTION THE END OF HUMAN CIVILISATION.

In Downfall: Lessons for Our Final Century, historian and professor Ilhan Niaz makes a profound and brave argument that is succinctly drawn together through a series of essays.

This bleak, stark and realistic argument pulls no punches about the author's assessment of the challenges confronting humanity at this moment in time, and Niaz's ability to draw on broad swathes of history is what makes these insights particularly relevant.

As the author makes clear, it is crucial to develop an understanding of the complexity of the issues involved in order to perhaps even begin to craft a response that will equal the scale of the challenge: the very survival of human civilisation in anything close to the form that we could agree as desirable.

Sector specialists, in particular, must build up contextualised and historical knowledge to be able to situate their actions and develop a sense of urgency about the work they are engaged in, as a self-understood matter of the survival of human civilisation.

Ilhan Niaz's book paints a grim picture of human beings' future on Earth, but also argues that this pessimistic realism is exactly what is required to confront it, rather than optimism and illusions

Scholarship such as this needs to be read widely, both outside and within academic settings around the world, and it is hoped that Downfall will find wide purchase. I would urge readers to pick up a copy of the book to see how the interlinking argument unfolds, from a review of historical lessons to the frailty of human reasoning. Then, individually as well as in collaboration with others, we may be able to craft an adequate response. For now, in the hope that you will read the book yourself, let me give you a short overview.

But before I do, let me state that, overall, Downfall is a beautifully and accessibly written book and the author's power of expression and ability to capture deep ideas succinctly make for a great reading experience. For a sense of what you will encounter, consider this particular sentence: 'The state response is skewed towards dealing with a bad headache, while the planet is headed towards a cardiac arrest.'

And this, for it may describe your task ahead in reading Niaz's book: 'To save the planet and, incidentally, ourselves, humans, especially the rich and clever ones, need to stop being optimistic and embrace realism, scepticism and pessimism.'

In essence, Downfall makes the argument that the present moment is a confluence of historical...