ottercubed

A brilliant discussion of why Europe (and it's subsidiaries like the U.S.) came to the dominant position of power in the world. Diamond argues that the differences in geographical endowments can explain why Europe was the first to develop advanced technology and thus gain colonial power over the rest of the planet. This book is incredibly well-researched and organized, so that after reading the book one obtains a very clear idea of what Diamond believes and why he believes it. The four most important factors listed by Diamond are 1) Distribution of domesticatable animals and plants, 2) Size of the continents, 3) Dominant axis of the continent, 4) Prevelance and severity of disease causing pathogens. These factors clearly don't explain everything, although sometimes one gets the impression that Diamond thinks that they do. Still, Diamond's focus on these factors for an exceptionally clear book. I highly recommend "Guns, Germs, and Steel" for anybody curious about why the world is shaped the way it is.

2023-07-20 18:26