Shalom Salomon Wald

Rise and Decline of Civilizations: Lessons for the Jewish People Shalom Salomon Wald

Examines the work of 23 historians of the last 2,400 years, from Thucydides to Jared Diamond, who describe the rise and decline of nations and civilizations. The key question of the book is whether the reasons that explain the rise, decline, and fall of other civilizations could apply to the Jews as well. The answer of the author is a qualified yes. From the work of these historians he extracts 12 drivers, or factors that explain rise and decline, from religion to natural catastrophes.