This book by Jared Diamond attempts to answer one of the biggest questions asked by historians: why did history turn out the way it did? More specifically, why did Eurasians conquer the rest of the world and not the other way around? Diamond offers much evidence to support the theory that the fates of societies are based on their environments. He explains how Eurasia had many significant advantages over the rest of the world: Eurasia had the most animals and plants capable of being domesticated as well as a landmass most favorable for diffusion of developments and ideas.
I thought this was a very interesting read because it does provide much explanation for why our world is the way it is today. It also fiercely refutes any racist theories that some humans are innately inferior to others. However, the book was a very tedious read and probably could have been shorter. Despite this, I would still recommend this book to anyone who wants a basic understanding of human societies.
~Mohammed
This book sounds very interesting. I would love to learn about why the world turned out the way it did. I may actually look into reading this soon.
ReplyDelete-guy fawkes
This books seems good I might read it, it also ties into my book about Genghis Khan and the Mongols.Genghis Khan conquered more land in 25 years then the Romans did in 400 years.
ReplyDelete-The omnipotent Mao Zedong
I agree, Diamond does include a tremendous amount of detail and seems to be in need of an editor. However, the popularity of his book is a testament to his ability to present sound, logical arguments about the reason why the West has been dominant for the past several centuries.
ReplyDeleteCollapse, his work about why societies fail, is also pretty good, but long. He presents some very interesting theories about the fate that awaits any civilization that ignores the limits of its environmental resources.
Mrs. McCabe
This book sounds very interesting. I'm really thinking about reading this book. I want to know why the world turned out the way it did.
ReplyDelete~Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson
I actually heard about this book in many of my other classes this year.
ReplyDeleteI really want to to read it, it sounds really exciting.
Were there any points in the book that seem incomprehensible or surprising? Answering the question of "Why is the world, what it is?" is an extremely philosophical question, and can be debated about for hours or even days at a time.
~Benjamin Franklin