A short history of progress

 The non-fiction book examines humanity's pattern of overconsumption and self-destruction throughout history, from Stone Age societies to fallen empires like the Roman Empire. Wright argues that modern civilization is caught in "progress traps," where short-term success leads to long-term disaster by depleting resources and creating unsolvable problems. The work dissects the cyclical nature of human development and warns about the future sustainability of our current path.