Apocalypse

The concept of the apocalypse is central to the book’s practical and conceptual explorations. In the modern era, the actual possibility of an apocalyptic event appears to be higher than ever. There are many human-made dangers such as nuclear war and catastrophic climate change. O’Connell’s goal in the book is to explore the realities of these possibilities, as well as the ways in which people are internally and externally reacting to such possibilities.

Civilization

At multiple points throughout the book, O’Connell explores the idea of civilization having a complicated relationship to ideas of the apocalypse. People often view the ideas of civilization and apocalypse as being directly opposed to each other, but O’Connell posits that certain aspects of modern life—such as war and widespread poverty—are apocalyptic manifestations that exist within the supposedly civilized modern world.

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