Using the metaphor of the second law of thermodynamics, which states that the amount of entropy of a thermodynamically isolated system tends to increase with time until no more entropy is possible, this book examines the challenges of the twenty-first centuryand offers solutions. Angel Goya, a lawyer and civil servant, reveals the connections between the major civilizations of antiquity and the fourteenth century, including their successful or failed attempts to survive climatic, cultural, political, and economic challenges. More importantly, he applies lessons from the past to contemporary society, arguing that to avoid entropy, a technological leap is always required to meet challenges. Specific chapters explore how climate change, natural disasters, and the environment shaped the Roman empire; how the Roman army was a reflection of the empires development; and how culture, religion, and the migration of peoples influenced civilizations in cultural, sociopolitical, and economic terms across the world up to modern times. Get solutions to problems by looking to the past, and find out why we must embrace globalization instead of reverting to protectionism in Drowning at the Sight of the Shore.