On Point : Why Societies Succeed and Fail - Why Societies Succeed and Fail

Aired: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 8-9PM ET

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Atlantis, the Vikings, Mayans, and many other societies have all disappeared. However, they have left behind a rich record of their material cultures. In his new book, geographer Jared Diamond combs through that record to reconstruct these societies' final days and finds ecocide the most compelling argument that runs through all of their stories.

But it's not all just bleak news. In his book, Diamond also relates the stories of a number of other populations, like those in Japan and Papua New Guinea, that appeared headed for similar dim fates but good leadership saved them from the brink. Diamond says that their survival came down to how they managed their environment.

Hear a conversation with Jared Diamond about his new book, "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed."

·	Jared Diamond, professor of geography at the University of California at Los Angeles and author of the Pulitzer Prize winning book "Guns, Germs, and Steel."

Deadly Day in Baghdad | Listen

Earlier today, insurgents in Iraq assassinated the governor of Baghdad province and six of his bodyguards. Also, a suicide truck bomber killed 10 people at an Interior Ministry commando headquarters. The militant group of Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Al-Qaida in Iraq, has claimed responsibility for killing Governor Ali al-Haidari and his bodyguards, and for the truck bombing.

The latest string of violence ahead of the January 30 elections is having many questioning whether the scheduled date is still realistic. Hear Christopher Albritton, correspondent for Time magazine, report on the latest from Iraq.