Review of 'Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Fascinating. Diamond makes a convincing case for geographic determinism: the idea that the course of human history is heavily dependent on the advantages and disadvantages of the various areas that people have inhabited.
For example, Eurasia enjoyed a very powerful advantage over the Americas simply because of its East-West orientation, which allowed crops domesticated in one area to spread easily throughout large areas of similar latitude (and climate). The predominantly North-South orientation of the Americas meant that crops suited to Mesoamerica couldn't spread very far North or South because of the rapid climate shifts. Thus, Eurasia achieved higher populations more quickly, which allowed more specialists (inventors, soldiers, bureaucrats) to develop a more complex society.
It was really interesting to read a history of early agriculture and domestication of animals. It has solidified my attitudes towards genetically modified foods and the like. We've been changing the plants and animals around us …
Fascinating. Diamond makes a convincing case for geographic determinism: the idea that the course of human history is heavily dependent on the advantages and disadvantages of the various areas that people have inhabited.
For example, Eurasia enjoyed a very powerful advantage over the Americas simply because of its East-West orientation, which allowed crops domesticated in one area to spread easily throughout large areas of similar latitude (and climate). The predominantly North-South orientation of the Americas meant that crops suited to Mesoamerica couldn't spread very far North or South because of the rapid climate shifts. Thus, Eurasia achieved higher populations more quickly, which allowed more specialists (inventors, soldiers, bureaucrats) to develop a more complex society.
It was really interesting to read a history of early agriculture and domestication of animals. It has solidified my attitudes towards genetically modified foods and the like. We've been changing the plants and animals around us by "artificial" selection for thousands of years. Why stop now?
The book itself is somewhat repetitive. It reads as if the author expected readers to read chapters in isolation, and therefore summarized the results of previous chapters. On the other hand, the book is chock-full of interesting bits of trivia.
The argument is strong, but almost disappointingly simple. I want history to be more than a big game of Civilization, where whoever builds the Granary in each of his cities first wins.