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Summary: A thought provoking review of compelling evidence
Review: A very satisfying read for anyone interested in history, anthropology, or the origins of man. Mr. Diamond does his epilogue justice, treating historical analysis as a scientific journey. As a bonus, the book is made all the more interesting by the author's personal perspective derived from spending significant time in very different cultures. There is definitely a focus on some of the author's life experiences (such as all the talk in many reviews about New Guinea). But this is used to strengthen theories put forth based on reasonable evidence, and provide anecdotal support for abstract theories. On the abstract theory side, the author's broad life experiences and diverse academic training allow the creation of a work that would likely have been impossible for someone with a narrower perspective. I strongly disagree with the hyperbole in some of reviews that implies a liberal political prejudice on the part of the author. Subjects are treated in a reasoned and balanced manner. Some of the conservative sounding railings against the book's statements about "the potential for superior natural selection of raw intelligence in New Guinea" are humorous. This statement could easily be used to support a view diametrically opposed to that which the reviewers are attributing to the author: a harsh condemnation of the trend in modern societies towards liberal socialism, because liberal policies squelch or reverse the process of natural selection. Also, if the author wanted to glorify New Guinean societies as the pinnacle of human achievement, he probably wouldn't have spent so much time discussing cannibalism in those societies. From my reading, these assumptions are in the reviewers minds, not the author's book. This book is not intended to be an exhaustive treatment on the origins of man, the rise of societies, or anything else; the author says many times that he's painting with a broad brush. The type of analysis done in this book HAS to be done at the high-altitude view, or you get lost in the details and don't see the large scale patterns. The book won't change your life, but it will give you a new perspective on some aspects of it.
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Summary: Is the Western man just a lucky monkey ?
Review: More on GG&S : I have just read the 99 most recent customers reviews on this book - Nobody has remarked that for J.Diamond the allotment of territories between peoples works like the attribution of seats in a movie theatre : who comes first gets the good seats, who comes later gets the bad ones and ( at least in our indecently civilized countries)everybody accepts the rule. Carthaginians had the better seat and Byzantines too.
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Summary: A must-read for everyone
Review: Diamond's last book is a windfall of marvellous moments which makes you see history with new, bias-free eyes. Since I was a kid, I had always hoped that my teachers deal with a world history instead of serving us a European-focused view, but nobody ever did. With Jared Diamond's book, my dream has finally materialized in a pleasant, erudite way. In this book each continent is devoted the same importance and you can learn striking facts about a plethora of subjects such as germs and diseases, giant kangaroos or the population of Madagascar. Certainly the best history book I have ever read, because it is made in a scientific manner. Every history addict should buy it now.
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Summary: "Societies" is the right word.
Review: Diamond writes a very persuasive description of the societies that have caused the civilization of the world. His supporting data, if not in the references, is thin. But, still his theory is encouraging with regard to why we are here and where we are going. I hope he writes a sequel.
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Summary: An intellectual exercise in "Affirmative Action"
Review: I found this rather impenetrable book quite a disappointment. Firstly, it is not an easy read. I have never come across any other book making such extensive use of inverted commas. Terms such as "civilisation", "discovery", "progress", "barbarian" and "primitive" are invariably given this syntactically diminishing treatment or are prefixed by "so-called", whereas dubious and controversial terms such as "racist" and "affirmative action" do not, as if we're expected to take Diamond's assumptions about them at face value. Next, it doesn't live up to its sub-title "A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13,000 Years". Diamond rather seems to have striven to compile as much political (and politically correct) evidence as possible to explain why European and Asian people had such an apparent head start in the human race. The fact that the Egyptians (Africa) and Olmecs (America) had achieved an astonishingly advanced level of "civilisation" when us Europeans were still "barbarian" hunter-gatherers (look - he's got me doing it now!) seems to be glossed over because it doesnt fit too comfortably with Diamond's theory. Diamond even conveniently lumps Nortern Africa in with Europe, when its demographics fit his theory better! Quite early on, Diamond scoffs openly at the idea that civilisation is a laudable goal in itself. His statement that he finds New Guineans tend to be more intelligent than Europeans or Americans rather sets the tone for the rest of the book. Indeed, one could be forgiven for believing that New Guinea was and is the cradle of civilisation. GG&S does, in all fairness, contain much fascinating material. The culture clash between Pizarro and Atahuallpa and the chapter covering the invention and spread of writing are exceptionally interesting. Diamond's political motives are however always apparent. For example the fact that the Spanish worked in collaboration with some ethnic american peoples (Zatopec etc) to assist in subjugating others, is glossed over - presumably to demonise those nasty Europeans yet further. This tends to make the reader suspicious of the author's motives in presenting such selective evidence and in asking us to trust him in the many assumptions he makes. All things considered, I still feel GG&S was worth reading (particularly if you're Eurasian and enjoy a guilt trip!), but you may find the author's hidden (and occasionally quite overt) agenda very irritating. Surely we are more than mere automata with our destiny pre-ordained by environmental constraint?
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Summary: Reductionism
Review: Very astute and interesting But : 1° All the mystery of the origin of civilization is reduced to down-to-earth factors such as the possibility to raise cattle in favoured areas 2° Mr Diamond has been very impressed because he has met an intelligent Papuan - That seems to be the key of his vision of History
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Summary: Our 13,000 year old civilization
Review: I wish this book had been around 30 years ago when I sat through an unsatisfying course known as "World History" (it was actually just a history of Western Eurasia!). Since I was very impressed by Jared Diamond's earlier work "The Third Chimpanzee" I hoped this work would equal it. It surpasses it! (In scope, clarity of thought and expression, and overarching unity it reminds me of Darwin's "Origin of Species.") This book examines the last 13,000 years of human history, and seeks to explain the rise of civilizations -- analyzing the environmental and ecological engines driving the process. One way to capture Diamond's investigative method (and his charming writing style) is to read his chapter titles and/or subtitles. Some examples: "Why the Inca emperor Atahuallpa did not capture King Charles I of Spain"; "Lethal Gift of Livestock: The evolution of germs"; "How China Became Chinese"; "How Africa Became Black"; "How to Make An Almond: The unconscious development of ancient crops"; "From Egalitarianism to Kleptocracy: The evolution of government and religion". If these give a macro view of this book, let's take some excerpts to see it in microscopic detail: (p. 260) "Our adoption of food production, which required us to remain close to our crops, orchards, and stored food surpluses [was linked to] sedentary living [which] was decisive for the history of technology, because it enabled people to accumulate non-portable possessions. Nomadic hunter-gatherers are limited to technology that can be carried. If you move often and lack vehicles or draft animals, you confine your possessions to babies, weapons, and a bare minimum of other absolute necessities small enough to carry. You can't be burdened with pottery and printing presses.... " Yes, Diamond's uses his subtle wit to make points succinctly and tellingly! He also uses 21 maps, 13 figures and tables, and 39 photographs to illustrate complex information simply. The photographs depict the splendorous variety of human types, giving lie to the inadequate standard racial categories of Caucasian, Black, Asiatic, and Aborigine. The maps depict the spread not only of wave after waves of human populations and languages, but also of their cultivated crops and livestock. This book is a splendid synthesis. Bring a highlighter (or pencil to underline) and travel through a fascinating voyage in "World History" -- as I wished I had studied it 30 years ago!
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Summary: Interdisciplinary approach.
Review: This is far from a definitive theory of history or anything else and the author's sometime provincial sounding observations in certain areas --they're smart in New Guinea, the tribesmen have no TV!--while provocative, are suspect. But this is a powerful cross-disciplinary look seeking insights applying the tools of one fileld of study to another. There is an array of hard-to-find but enlightening facts that younger readers will especially find valuable. Others will note that some of his original ideas were in fact widely discussed by science-fiction writers a few decades ago and assumed in many college courses in the '70's. There is a need for more efforts such as this one. The book is fascinating, raises intriguing questions on the various inter-relations of different systems, and is fun to read.
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Summary: Far Reaching and Interesting Thesis
Review: Enough is enough. Let's just say a book of 400+ pages deserves almost 300 reviews! Why one more? Irritation with the shallow criticisms offered by numerous previous reviewers. Yes, this is a long book and it takes a while to read -especially when you lay it down for months at a time (like I did). Guns, Germs, and Steel is a book that makes you think. I thought about it during the breaks I took from reading it and I keep thinking about it and talking to people about it now that I've finished it. Perhaps this book doesn't say everything just the way everyone would like it said but it certainly stimulates thinking and discussion. There are parts that are repetitious - but - I found that a bit helpful to keep me (a lay person) on track and remembering all of the points that Diamond is weaving together. There are many parts that leave you wanting more detail. Diamond's artful combination of history with geography, biology, animal husbandry, weather, and zoology is facinating. Don't read any more reviews - read the book.
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Summary: Definative and Powerful Explanation of Basic Human History
Review: I'd always wondered why the cavalry never arrived through history's battles astride zebras. They are, after all closely related to horses -- why did Africans never make that leap to stripped horse flesh when their Eurasian cousins were able to commanded the non-stripped version thousands of years ago? Diamond answers this question and provides other fascinating information in this extremely logical and well argued book (zebras have far nastier tempers than horses and are not domesticable). This is human history at its most basic. The question answered is why some peoples achieved more advanced developmental trajectories than others over the last ten thousand years. Diamond's history is the history of homo sapiens, not historical man. In fact, he shows how the history of our species interacted with basic geographical and biological facts in all parts of the world to produce "history" as most of us know it (at least through the age of colonialism). This book proves, at its most elemental level, that people are people. Which continents our ancestors migrated to almost totally explains the stage of development reached by different peoples five hundred years ago when world's collided. In this, Diamond presents clear and convincing evidence and arguemnt that history up to a point was pre-ordained. What elements preordained development levels among people? The presence or absence of domesticable plant and animal species and the breadth of lattitude possessed by the continents. The Eurasian land mass was the clear winner in nature's draw which meant that those who were lucky enough to inhabit it had developed clear advantages over other peoples of the world by the time they met. Diamond makes this point through clearly marshalled evidence, sound conclusions and simple yet elegant prose. In this, the book is a breakthrough work: it explains convincingly much about the lack of differences between peoples and the absolute importance of location, avaialable food and animal speciies in determining such critical success factors for development as agriculture, village life, and the emergence of writing and technology. The title of this book more accurately could have been "Lattitude, Grass Plants and Large Mammels." Guns, germs and steel are not the focus, but the result of those percursor elements, which are discussed much more that the title words. I also found that the author repeats him self and his basic points a lot. His case is well made, but made over and over again. At times the book got boringly repetitive. At other times, iteresting tidbits arising out of the author's case pulled me back in. Having said that, this is an important book, even monumental for the clarity and convincing manner in which Diamond presents his thesis.
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