I'm not a reader of big books of history and I was not familiar with Paul Cooper and his podcast. I received a copy of this book from Net Galley based on the description.
I enjoyed reading every bit of the book. It flowed so easily and was clear about each civilization covered. I felt educated by all the chapters. Some, such as the Aztec civilization and Easter Island were as interesting as any fiction I've read.
I'm ready to read other books by the author.
I'm now a reader of history!

I've never listened to the "Fall of Civilizations" podcast, so I went into this book blind. I like the writing style, Cooper does a nice job of packing in a lot of information while maintaining a smooth, flowing narration style. However, it didn't really keep my interest or attention. I was also a bit disappointed in the choice of civilizations, since most of them included here are pretty popular topics of discussion already. That's great if you're interested in those, and Cooper covers them very well, I just was hoping to learn more about some civilizations that are less frequently discussed.

I think the writing style and information here can appeal to both academics and casual hobbyists, though primarily the latter.

I've already listened to every single episode of of the "Fall of Civilizations" podcast - and I still enjoyed myself immensely as I read this. All the information feels just as rich and interesting as when I first heard Cooper narrate right to me while cooking dinner or going out for a walk. This book is perfect both for fans like myself, or for those who simple love a big, juicy history read.....also like myself, actually.

I downloaded this book because I have a great love for history and also because I was doing research for a book about ancient empires and their falls and this book is about that. Cooper's writing is easy to understand but is packed with information which is a great balance because when readers are given a lot of information they often check out or get overwhelmed. I never felt overwhelmed with the information Cooper gave because he did so in a way that was easy to understand and digest as a reader. I liked that each civilization had it's own chapter that did a deep dive into the civilization and all the factors that caused them to fall from their heights. I really liked this and if you are looking for a good nonfiction book that covers a lot of empires and history this is the one for you.