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Doom

The Politics of Catastrophe

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Doom

By: Niall Ferguson
Narrated by: Niall Ferguson
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Disasters are inherently hard to predict. But when catastrophe strikes, we ought to be better prepared than the Romans were when Vesuvius erupted or medieval Italians when the Black Death struck. We have science on our side, after all. Yet the responses of many developed countries to a new pathogen from China were badly bungled. Why?

While populist rulers certainly performed poorly in the face of the pandemic, Niall Ferguson argues that more profound pathologies were at work - pathologies already visible in our responses to earlier disasters.

Drawing from multiple disciplines, including economics and network science, Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe offers not just a history but a general theory of disaster. As Ferguson shows, governments must learn to become less bureaucratic and more 'antifragile' if we are to avoid the impending doom of irreversible decline.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Niall Ferguson (P)2021 Penguin Audio Disaster Relief Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences Thought-Provoking Middle Ages

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I enjoy Ferguson's work but this felt more like a textbook than the likes of Civilisation and Empire. Will enjoy listening again though as so many ideas to take in

Bit too much like a textbook

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A great, wide analysis of disaster. All kinds and throughout history. Very interesting and to be honest entertaining.

As Ever agree or disagree Ferguson makes you think

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Highly recommend Fergusons newest book. In a time of turmoil, with mad presidents, climate changes rushing in and pandemics occuring, reading Doom helped at getting an understanding of our late modern society.

As always intelligent, persuasive and interesting

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With his depth of knowledge, honest style of appraisal and compelling story telling voice, I could listen to Niall Ferguson talk all day and through the next; and I just did. 😀 Looking for the next one from him. Mick the Hick

First Class history it seems to me.

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I love Niall Ferguson as a historian and this didn’t disappoint. Ferguson narrates this book and he is excellent and extremely listenable. I feel that it brings the book alive and places his passions and feelings into it. The content of the boom is interesting and provides some thought provoking ideas that link with some of his previous works. There has been criticism that he wrote this book in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and didn’t wait until it’s end. But as he explains in the book, what end? When? That’s not his point and the book doesn’t need it. All disasters are to some extent political and I feel from reading this book that is true more than ever. Will need to listen again to fully take in all of the ideas, however this book was not boring and therefore that’ll be not difficult to do. Not a showstopper, but a solid piece of work.

Classic Ferguson

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What a great listen. Really impressive, well researched and excellently narrated.

Now I have to buy a hard copy at my local bookstore! Thank you.

Absolutely fascinating!

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This is not just s book on the covid pandemic, it's much broader and deeper in scope. And yet there are constant pointers to the pandemic experience which are, in hindsight, completely wrong. Alas this continually casts doubts and questions over the robustness and soundness of whichever point was being elaborated. This is a real shame as the premise and topics discussed in the book are fascinating.
Hopefully a future revised edition will address the many incorrect conclusions that have being drawn from superseded covid data.

In desperate need of a revised 2nd edition

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This is a tour de force that takes a critical look at past and present catastrophes around the world, and how the successes and failures of responses to these can inform the world today.
It is especially prescient given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for which there is currently no end in sight.

Review of Doom:

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A fascinating journey as always from NF. The breath and depth of knowledge and the connections made between and within it are revealing.

Excellent.

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Ferguson's command of so many disciplines and periods of history make the book. The concluding chapter is also very strong. But a good chunk of the final third feels somewhat dated (given it was written in the middle of the pandemic) and he is somewhat prone to current political commentary (which is probably not why many might be drawn to a history of catastrophe). Perhaps that is unavoidable.

On balance, a well researched enlightening listen

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