The winds of change : climate, weather, and the destruction of civilizations

Climate has been humanity's constant, if moody, companion. Eugene Linden reveals a recurring pattern in which civilizations become prosperous and complacent during good weather, only to collapse when climate changes -- either through its direct effects, such as floods or drought, or indirect consequences, such as disease, blight, and civil disorder. The Winds of Change places climate change, global warming, and the resulting instability in historical context and sounds an urgent warning for the future.