We know that our world is in the process of seismic change—but how can we emerge from the crisis a fairer, more equal society? In this groundbreaking book, Paul Mason explores how past societies have collapsed or changed, and provides a powerful critique of why our present system of financial capitalism has failed us. Most of all, he shows how, from the ashes of the crisis, we have the chance to create a more socially just and sustainable economy. While the dangers ahead are profound, he argues, there is cause for hope. This is the first time in human history in which, equipped with an understanding of what is happening around us, we can predict and shape, rather than simply react to, seismic change.