I agree.
GG&S has crossed the line from “exploring possibility” to “fanatical propaganda.”
I realize he just wanted to rebut The Global Bell Curve, but it’s poorly done.
Collapse, on the other hand is great, especially if you read it in conjunction with its clear inspiration, Garrett Hardin’s “Tragedy of the Commons”
http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles/art_tragedy_of_the_commons.html
Not to be a cynic, but:
Zero-sum is not an illusion.
Every single thing has opportunity cost.
It may not be another person that pays if I pick up my toys, and go found my own community elsewhere.
It may be fewer trees and less open land.
We’re all in this together, on the same planet, sharing the same air and water. Nothing is positive-sum if it involves using physical resources.