Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
A study of the rise of civilizations, exploring the effects of geography, technology, and biology on human societies.
Summary
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies is a 1997 book by Jared Diamond, professor of geography and physiology at UCLA. The book attempts to explain why some societies have advanced so much more rapidly than others, focusing on the effects of geography, technology, and biology on human societies. Diamond argues that the differences in power and technology between human societies originate primarily in environmental differences, which are amplified by various positive feedback loops. He also argues that Eurasian societies had an advantage due to their access to a wide variety of useful domesticable plants and animals.
Interpretation
Guns, Germs, and Steel is an exploration of the rise of civilizations, and how geography, technology, and biology have shaped human societies. Diamond argues that the differences in power and technology between human societies originate primarily in environmental differences, and that Eurasian societies had an advantage due to their access to a wide variety of useful domesticable plants and animals.
Who is this book for?
Guns, Germs, and Steel is for anyone interested in the history of human societies and the effects of geography, technology, and biology on them.
Keywords
History, Geography, Technology, Biology, Societies