I got interested in Brian Fagan's work because of an interest in climate change and another in archeology, which he combines to great effect in _The Long Summer_, as well as his other books, such as _The Little Ice Age_. He takes the paleoclimatological data that the researchers are developing as they study the process of global warming and climate change, and then applies it directly to the information we have from archeology and history of different cultures around the world. The result is a fascinating and new perspective on how shifting climate factors affect weather, and how that in turn contributes to the growth and collapse of cultures around the world.While these books are intended for a general audience, and Dr. Fagan clearly explains the science behind his narratives as he goes along, they are an important window into the possibilities that may face us in the future. Past cultures were unaware of the warming and cooling shifts of climate, which drove periods of harsh and unpredictable weather contributing to disasters, starvation, and the fall of governments. This provides a cautionary tale to us in the present, that we ignore the past and the present at our peril.I recommend _The Long Summer_ to anyone interested in how the conditions after the Ice Age led to the rise and flourishing of civilizations around the world, and how subsequent changes contributed to their fall. It's a fascinating read.