Diamond demonstrates throughout this book that the difference in power is not the result of an inequality of intelligence or abilities among people. Instead, independently or through a transmission neighbor discovery, all the men got down from 10,000 years to the domestication of nature with varying success. What some have managed to domesticate or what others have failed to domesticate the result of objective factors unrelated to their abilities. These differences have important consequences in contrast to their degree of development.
For example, the domestication of horses, key power (transport goods, people, information, warriors) was fast in Eurasia while the African equivalent, zebra, never has summer. Despite all the attempts (even today) it turns out that the zebra is not tamed (structural aggression and flexible spine does not allow porting).
In short the various ideas, starting with coconuts falling from trees that would have tilted tropical falling asleep on the sweetness of their environment, are beaten in breach.
The task is enormous, the prospect is both scenic, original and unpublished. Anecdotes abound, this book is a discovery must read. Far from being vegetative, prehistory was a period of intense discovery, domestication that made our recent progress possible. Diamond makes us these first discoverers surprisingly familiar.
4 However, critics:
- Technical: some lengths and a number of repetitions.
- Substantive: the presentation appears from the conclusion - that is undeniable - the arguments seem to be arranged for this purpose and makes him lose objectivity.
- Substantive: The Power of civilizations is here solely explained by exogenous factors (environmental, plant resources, animal etc.). Their importance is demonstrated very convincingly, but it seems doubtful that the fate of a civilization and its development are only due to external causes. Can we do without such values of a civilization which make its greatness or its decadence, its militancy, its collective choices, temperament, or even its basic model (which power is the only relevant criterion?) ?
- Substantive: Eurasia dominated most civilizations from Diamond. A heterogeneous ensemble is it quite relevant? Eurasian peoples on the recent history had mixed fortunes and rotating (we other Gallic and Gallo-Roman, and then mixed with the peoples of the great invasions, and then challenged race by Saracens etc.).
Whatever one may challenge some deterministic view, this book gives an amazing insight into the history of mankind and the reasons that led them to take the direction they took. To read!
