Our book for January is Goliath's Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse by Luke Kemp.

For those who are interested, here is the [link](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BlTutPUb6224Q3j-oBNNF8oMDV2pbtDnEf-WbNUVH1E/edit?usp=sharing) to the detailed results from the voting.

Here is a summary of the book:

Cambridge scholar Luke Kemp challenges the traditional narrative that civilization is a steady march of progress, instead reframing human history as a graveyard of "Goliaths"—large, hierarchical states that are inherently fragile. Drawing on a massive dataset of over 300 historical case studies ranging from the Bronze Age to modern empires, Kemp argues that the centralized, top-down structures we often equate with success are actually prone to failure. He posits that the transition from egalitarian hunter-gatherer societies to stratified states introduced a structural vulnerability: the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of a few, which he identifies as the "Goliath" model of governance.

The book’s central thesis identifies the "curse" of these societies as a specific cycle of inequality and elite overreach. Kemp suggests that collapse is rarely caused solely by external shocks like climate or disease; rather, these shocks expose the internal rot caused by oligarchic elites who extract resources and engage in status competition. A provocative finding in his analysis is that societal collapse has historically been a tragedy primarily for the ruling classes, while often resulting in improved health, freedom, and well-being for the average citizen. He argues that what we fear as "collapse" is often just a necessary resetting of an unbalanced system that has been captured by leaders exhibiting "dark triad" personality traits—narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism.

Finally, Kemp applies these historical lessons to our present predicament, warning that we are currently living inside a "Global Goliath"—a singular, deeply interconnected world system. Unlike past collapses that were localized, a modern collapse faces unique existential risks, such as nuclear war, unregulated AI, and runaway climate change, making the potential fallout far more catastrophic and harder to escape. Despite this grim outlook, the book offers a path forward, arguing that our survival depends not on stronger authoritarian control, but on democratizing power and building resilience through decentralized, egalitarian systems that resist the "curse" of elite capture.

This event will be hybrid. I will host the meeting in person at my house in Berkeley which is near the intersection of College Ave and Woolsey St. I will email people the address the Saturday before the meeting.

Here are the Google Meet details:
Link: [https://meet.google.com/ety-meyi-xqq](https://meet.google.com/ety-meyi-xqq)
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 904-900-0195‬ PIN: ‪583 711 554‬#

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The Undeniably Non-Fiction Book Club (Berkeley)

Goliath's Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse by Luke Kemp

The Undeniably Non-Fiction Book Club (Berkeley)

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