Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel has been well-reviewed in numerous places, so I won’t be too exhaustive. Simply put, this is an epic look at world history (mostly non-Western history). Diamond leaves no continent unturned… He writes with an academic eye, but for the most part the text is accessible to non-scientists.
What I liked most about the book is that it talks about the rise and fall of civilizations and societies based largely on environmental and geographical factors. It’s not really a world history about tribal differences (although they are mentioned), nor is it about Western imperialism and conquest (though, undoubtedly that is a reality in more recent history); instead, Diamond focuses on issues like why certain plants and animals were domesticated in one part of the globe and not another – and why that domestication matters…
I enjoyed the book (though it is a bit of a daunting read) because it presents such a broad perspective. It’s refreshing to step back and try to look at the themes of history and human societies – in the end, maybe we’re not that different after all.
