Guns, Germs, and Steel

Guns, Germs, and Steel
by Jared Diamond

This book is a very enjoyable accounting of the history of man with an
attempt to use 'scientific method' to answer the question that arises late
into a party. The question as put in the book goes like this.: Why is it
you some people developed so much baggage and brought it here to New Guinea
while we black people had little cargo of our own? From here the author
provides well organized, easy to read argument that is based on the
following points which give meaning to the title of the book. Or in other
words, what conditions existed for one society to evolve faster. The racial undertones at the begining are the only flaw in the book.

First, there is the element of starting materials that could be domesticated. That is large grain cereals and large mammalian animals.
These two elements were most prevalent in the Fertile Crescent region allowing for an agrarian age

2. Then after considering the domestication of plants and animals, the
author offers numerous scenarios in many regions of our planet earth, across
the history of man, to illustrate how mans selected use determined the fate
of their region. For instance, what if the folks in the Fertile Crescent
managed their land better. Or what if later in history those same people
adopted a religion that embraced technology. Or what was it in the first
large united people's leaders in China, to suddenly ban everything
mechanical including clocks. In the end, or to date, it proved to be the
disparate Europe that advanced in the scientific age. It was through
competition between the regions that propelled advancement.

3. Unfortunately this story of man includes the need to conquer other
lands. The book sites examples, with counter fact, describing why one
region conquered another and not vice versa. For instance, why did Cortez
conquer the Aztecs, instead of the Aztecs sailing to Spain? As in most events first
Germs, inherent from farming and animal husbandry. Then advanced technology
and organized government afforded the conquerors an advantage with Steel and
Guns.

The book is a great refresher course in history using scientific method in
constructing the rationale for the occurrences of events. As the author
concludes, the book clearly provides a shift in our paradigm moving history
from the Humanities building on campus to the Science building. From there
what new lessons could we learn? I am not sure Diamond ever answered that
late night party question. In fact the book did not require such an introduction.