Cover; Title; Copyright; Contents; List of figures, tables and boxes; Preface; 1 Introduction; 2 A long view; 3 Growth and crisis in the pre-fossil era; 4 The big change; 5 How other regions coped; 6 Agriculture and the welfare state: Emerging problems; 7 The neoliberal decades; 8 Looking into the crystal ball; 9 Where there's a will, there's a way; References; Index