If you read pop-sci one book this year...

make it 'Collapse' by Jarod Diamond - it's literally brilliant. It describes how societies can actually 'choose' to collapse. Normally this is because they lack globally relevent data but if you extrapolate the success stories to modern times.... you get some pretty stark pronouncements. There's even a chapter devoted to Australia which is pretty much bang on (and it don't look good).
Interview here via SciTech Daily.