Jared diamond is the pulitzer prizewinning author of guns, germs, and steel, which was named one of times best nonfiction books of all time, the number one international bestseller collapse and most recently the world untilyesterday. Diamond hypothesized that the arc of human history was dramatically shifted by geographic, environmental, biological, and other factors, resulting in the worldwide dominance of the leading industrial powers during the past 500 years. The fates of human societies by jared diamond won the pulitzer prize for the first edition, which was published in 1997. In this remarkably readable book he shows how history and biology can enrich one another to produce a deeper understanding of the human condition. A short history of everybody for the last, 000 years new ed by diamond, jared isbn. It is a work rich in dramatic revelations that will fascinate readers even as it challenges conventional wisdom. What is jared diamonds thesis in guns, germs, and steel. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read guns, germs, and steel. Diamonds expertise is primarily with the new guinean people, but the breadth of knowledge displayed in the book covered every part of the globe in some way. Books the subject is entirely different but it is written with the same silobusting mindset and candidness which i found so great in guns, germs an. Jared diamond guns germs and steel audiobook youtube. Guns, germs, and steel emphasized the role that germs played in the clash of civilizations. An ambitious synthesis of history, biology, ecology and linguistics, guns, germs and steel is a groundbreaking and humane work of popular science. Winner of the pulitzer prize for nonfiction, the rhone.
What are some good books for someone who liked guns, germs. This summary also includes key lessons and important passages from the book. Guns, germs, and steel no scientist brings more experience from the laboratory and field, none thinks more deeply about social issues or addresses them with greater clar ity, than jared diamond as illustrated by guns, germs, and steel. In this remarkably readable book he shows how history and biology can enrich. Jared diamond puts the case that geography and biogeography, not race, moulded the contrasting fates of europeans, asians, native americans, subsaharan africans, and aboriginal australians. In 1998, guns, germs, and steel won the pulitzer prize for general nonfiction and the aventis prize for best science book. In his pulitzer prizewinning book guns, germs and steel, scientist jared diamond.
Guns, germs, and steel might read like a textbook in places, but in retrospect i still took away quite a bit from my reading. Guns, germs, and steel by jared diamond is a nonfiction book that explores why some societies are more materially successful than others farming and domesticating. Mcneill identifies two contrasting approaches to history. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us genealogy lincoln collection. Before i read either or both of these books however, i plan to read bill brysons a short history on nearly everything, and a few of richard dawkins books. A book of big questions, and big answers yuval noah harari, bestselling author of sapiens why has human history unfolded so differently across the globe. Guns, germs, and steel is a book that opens up a lot of discussion possibilities. In this artful, informative, and delightful william h. Academic critics howled however, academic critics howled shortly after the publication of guns, germs, and steel. They referred to supposed errors in geography and history, which i find largely pointless. Incan warriors fought on foot while the spanish rode on horseback. A short history of everybodyfor the last,000 years by vintage in 1998 isbn 9780099302780.
Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Get an answer for what is jared diamonds thesis in guns, germs, and steel and what question is he trying to answer. It was subsequently published in great britain under the title guns, germs, and steel. Guns, germs, and steel by jared diamond mormonism 101. The fates of human societies as artful, informative, and delightful nyr, may 15, the distinguished historian william h.
The answer is in the title of ucla professor jared diamonds 1997 book. A book of remarkable scope, a history of the world in less than 500 pages. Mike sheridan no direction home ordinary people surviving book 1. To ask other readers questions about guns, germs, and steel, please sign up. The main premise of guns, germs, and steel is that the differences in the experiences of human history can be explained by climate and geography. Reading assignment the concept of ap world history is to focus on the big ideas, concepts, themes, and trends of history. When i set out on the journey of guns, germs and steel, what i was hoping to achieve was an understanding of the grand pattern of history and what i was expecting to show was, that i didnt. A short history of everybody for the last,000 years is a 1997 transdisciplinary nonfiction book by jared diamond. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. It is a story that spans,000 years of human history, beginning when stone age huntergatherers constituted the entire human population.
He explained why some civilizations advanced and dominated other civilizations throughout the course of history. Its become a landmark, bestseller book that would win the pulitzer prize and be filmed by national geographic for pbs. In this book, diamond took me through a multicontinent journey, where he explored various civilizations. Diamond uses various scientific discoveries from different disciplines, with a focus on how they all come together in a coherent story. National geographic guns germs and steel 1 of 3 official. Drezner listed the book on his top ten list of mustread books about international economic history. A short history of everybody for the last,000 years paperback 30 apr 1998 by jared diamond author 4. The fates of human societies ebook written by jared diamond. Jared diamonds book guns, germs, and steel swiftly debunks this idea. Guns germs and steel by jared diamond distorts history. Why did history unfold differently on different continents. A book of remarkable scope, a history of the world in less than 500 pages which. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
Winner of the pulitzer prize, the phi beta kappa award in science, the rhonepoulenc prize, and the commonwealth club of californias gold medal. Why is eurasia more advanced and innovated than other continents like, the americas. Guns, germs and steel first published in the united states by w. Instead of focusing on minor events and occurrences, we will focus on the big ideas that have shaped world history and our world today.
In guns, germs, and steel jared diamond presents the biologists answer. The differences in technology and advances differing between other countries. A major advance in our understanding of human societies, guns, germs, and steel chronicles the way that the modern world came to be and stunningly dismantles racially based theories of human history. A major advance in our understanding of human societies, guns, germs, and steel chronicles the way that the modern world, and its inequalities, came to be. A short history of nearly everything by bill bryson a brief history of time by stephen hawking. History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences in. History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves. The fates of human societies previously titled guns, germs and steel. According to diamond, the history of civilizations isnt a simple history of savage cultures being dominated by more advanced peoples. I hear that guns, germs and steel by diamond has copped a lot of criticism, so perhaps is my best bet just to go straight to sapiens by dr harari. One of the more popular 2011 common read assignments is jared diamonds pulitzer prizewinning book, guns, germs, and steel. Understanding history with guns, germs, and steel september 8, 2011 many colleges have adopted a common reads program, where freshmen read the same book. Within a few months, this subtitle had evolved into a short history of everybody for the last,000 years. Norton and company, on march 1 1997, guns, germs and steel was initially subtitled the fates of human societies.
The fates of human societies, by diamond, jared, isbn 9780393317558, available at the american book center. The fates of human societies is a 1997 transdisciplinary nonfiction book by jared diamond, professor of geography and physiology at the university of. Guns, germs, and steel alltime 100 nonfiction books. Over,000 years of human history are explored in order to explain why societies around the world evolved differently from each other and how those differences led to the conquest of particular groups. Marginal revolution by alex tabarrok tuesday, august 23 text. Diamonds general thesis is that the west conquered the world rather than vice versa because of a fluke of nature.
Its message is interesting, wellthoughtout, yet at times controversial. Understanding history with guns, germs, and steel many colleges have adopted a common reads program, where freshmen read the same book during the summer and then discuss it when they get to. Like the subtitle says, this book provides a general overview of the history of mankind. The fates of human societies is a 1997 transdisciplinary nonfiction book by jared diamond, professor of geography and physiology at. Guns, germs, and steel is an artful, informative, and delightful book, full of surprises there is nothing like a radically new angle of vision for bringing out unsuspected dimensions of a. The great thing about guns, germs and steel is the detail. Search the history of over 433 billion web pages on the internet. This is my book summary of guns, germs, and steel by jared diamond. Two decades ago a ucla geography professor named jared diamond published guns, germs, and steel. Guns, germs, and steel essay the historical book gun, germs, and steel written by jared diamond explains a variety of different themes as to why the world came to be as it is today. My notes are informal and often contain quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. Guns, germs, and steel, by jared diamond new york times. Jared diamond starts with a proposition every good guardian reader would wish to believe.
In 1997, ten years after calling agriculture the worst mistake in the history of the human race, jared diamond came out with guns, germs, and steel. After warmly praising my book guns, germs, and steel. Guns, germs, and steel is a world history that really is a history of all the worlds peoples, a unified narrative of human life. This is one of those books that takes you a while to read its pretty heavy nonfiction and yet at the end of it, you feel like hippocrates, a muslim scientist, or leonardo da vinci must have felt at the realization of a great discovery.
1558 400 337 1313 455 1436 370 1155 328 930 120 141 812 210 1274 67 927 524 1154 1550 327 1298 1096 351 290 888 348 806 1158 1484 764 157 1446 1102 1042 1476 972 980 14 857 1185