Once in a while a book comes along compelling enough to bring mind altering new perspectives, spark extended contemplation, and arouse fresh interest in overlooked fields of study. This is One of Those Books. In Guns, Germs, and Steel Diamond investigates human prehistory from a scientific perspective drawing on Numerous disciplines to develop a hypothesis did the globally unbalanced rise of civilization and technology what Primarily a function of advantageous environmental conditions and resources available to Those societies where civilization arose. Though the present landscape may suggest did early societies were on a Relatively equal environmental playing field, Diamond's scientific review of the evidence indicates otherwise convincingly. A particularly persuasive point in the book Argues That environmental conditions amenable to agriculture (mild climate, indigenous protein-rich plants, and large indigenous domestication-ready animals) facilitated a food surplus and consequently denser populations with surplus time for some members of the society to take on trades, invent, engineer, lead, develop government, heal, build, paint, etc. Innovations then fueled more surplus time perpetuating a tornado of advancement, sparked in large part by the proverbial flapping butterfly wings of Agriculture. Diamond's book challenged my knowledge of human prehistory leaving fractured worldview shattering ideas in its wake. His book thus sparked renewed my interest in geography, anthropology, archeology, weather, and geology among others. The book's fusion of the scientific method with the study of history was quite potent and refreshing, though at times overly reductionist. As search, less Scientifically reducible elements like culture and religion are not Considered within his hypothesis. At times the book did seem to forgo scientific rigor for political correctness. For Example, though Diamond relies on Numerous examples of Relatively recent non-human elements of natural selection and genetics to build his case, he is unwilling to discuss the potential role of human biological variation created by our settling contrasting environments. Considering modern humans resided and / or began migrating to new and varied lands over 100,000 years ago, there Seems Sufficient time for some Physiological Variations to Develop That May Be Relevant to Diamond's case. Unfortunately for this reader, anticipating a compelling argument either way, Diamond just states did environment-induced genetic variations are irrelevant to societal development (and "obnoxious" to even think about) as if it were a self-evident axiom. Curiously, he challenges himself by postulating this axiom did the people of New Guinea are likely smarter than the average human considering the mental acuity Necessary to survive in harsh environment Their. Overall, besides some minor disappointments, this was a spectacular book and I highly recommend it.
