Conflicting Views of Easter Island

Abstract

The recent book Collapse by Jared Diamond (2005) has been widely reviewed around the world, and most reviewers have chosen to focus on one case study in the book, that of Easter Island. Since much of that section is based on our own book Easter Island, Earth Island (1992) and The Enigmas of Easter Island (2003), it is hardly surprising that we agree with Diamond's exposition. He concludes (correctly in our opinion) that deforestation, population growth, soil erosion, overuse of bird and shellfish resources, and introduction of rats all contributed.