The Long Descent: A User's Guide to the End of the Industrial Age

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In 2008, as crude oil prices soared, John Michael Greer's work transcended the typical debates of the time, presenting a stark yet hopeful outlook on the future of industrial society. While some believed in perpetual progress and others predicted an immediate collapse, Greer reframed the discussion around the historical patterns of rise and fall that characterize civilizations. He outlines the decline that has led past civilizations to their end, suggesting that our own civilization is on a similar trajectory. Historically, it takes one to three hundred years for a civilization to descend from its peak into a dark age, a process that is visibly unfolding today. The challenges facing industrial civilization are not mere problems to be solved but predicaments we must learn to navigate as we move toward a deindustrial future. Despite the decline of the petroleum age, opportunities still exist during the intervals between oil price spikes. Greer provides essential insights for individuals, families, and communities on how to prepare for the inevitable changes ahead, emphasizing that proactive measures can still be taken as we face the realities of a world increasingly shaped by dwindling petroleum resources.