Guns, Germs, and Steel by Frederic P. Miller

Guns, Germs, and Steel Reviews

• 
  Marshall

  I didn’t finish the book :( it’s an interesting book that tries to address fundamental questions of global power and inequality. Yet for my own reading preference, it’s too academic to fully enjoy. Alternatively, this can be a fascinating documentary series, and I found one!
  
  
  http://www.pbs.org/gunsgermssteel/show/
• 
  Connor George

  I'm late to the party, but what on earth was this?
  
  I read this as my professor mentioned it in a lecture. But...
  
  Where do I start...?
  Generally his thesis is entirely weak. He sets out to answer the question of why some societies were more advanced than others, despite some continents, starting out earlier than others. Of course a geographer would conclude that geography influences human societies the most. Yeah bro its called ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINISM. Not a new idea.
  He looks to fill his work with needless, tiresome and incoherent sermons on agriculture, which to his credit, were vaguely interesting, particularly the parts on crop staples and plant domestication. But as I mentioned, they were simply boring, and unnecessary as factors strengthening his thesis.
  
  But it was his final word on trying to turn history into a science. turning a humanities subject into an objective empirical discipline. This was the final point which sealed it for me. it proved the fact that he has tried to balance too many fields, without a deeper knowledge of the intricacies of the disciplines he was using. I understand it is a short book and he couldn't possibly have managed to include everything on the subject in one book. But he asks a big question, which would naturally necessitate a big answer. I'm no doctorate, but even I can see he has not explored all of the possible research in answering his question.
  
  This scathing review has, I'm sure, been mirrored by previous readers, and I am in no doubt that I am not alone in my opinion. Perhaps the Geographer, should just stay as well... A geographer.
  
  Final verdict by this undergraduate:
  Weak. Weak. Weak.
• 
  Ravi Gangadat

  This is an excellent book. The book aimed to answer the following questions - "Why did human development proceed at such different rates on different continents?", "Why were Europeans, rather than Africans or native Americans, the ones to end up on top?"
  
  I learned that history followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences.
• 
  Bob Uva

  I finally got to reading this book and was not disappointed! It introduced me to a way of viewing history, through geographical and other boundaries, that is not only very appealing but seems to explain a lot of the differences in the fate of people throughout the world.
• 
  Jessica

  This is an epic read. It strives to answer the question of why some people conquered (like the Europeans) and others were conquered (like the Native Americans). The short answer is geography, the long answer is this book. It truly was fascinating. I feel smarter for my time with this book.
• 
  David

  First non-fiction I have read in quite a while. Having majored in sociology and minored in anthropology, this book is a joy to read. It also re-introduced me to serious readingthat I have neglected on the years.
• 
  Ben Wainblat

  Good book to make you seem smart at cocktail parties, but I don't feel too personally enriched by reading this.
• 
  Raelene

  Really interesting broad scope of human history
• 
  Judy

  This is another one of those books that's probably a better "read" than "listen." Though it's mostly things you should have learned in Social Studies 101 - had you been paying attention.
  
  After 5 hours of "lecture," Diamond says the development of civilizations - why some cultures developed quicker and became more sophisticated than others has to do with the environment. Societies that domesticated plants and animals made more significant cultural, civic, and technological advances sooner than peoples who lived in less hospitable environments.
• 
  Rich Dammkoehler

  I really enjoyed this book. I have to admit that there were times when it dragged on, but it gave me a lot better understanding of how the modern world was shaped and the influences of geography, disease, technology, etc. I highly recommend reading this book.
• 
  Jeff Ferry

  The book contains lots of interesting information, but it's presented in a very unexciting way. Although the book is short at 140 pages it still feels like it drags. Only recommended for people with a deep love of history and civilization.
• 
  Arun Venkatesan

  A bit dry, but still a decent read.
• 
  Jas

  wrong book
• 
  Jim Reinknecht

  a fabulous piece of journalism, a wonderful exploration into why white Europeans and their descendants have so much and the native peoples they displaced have so little.
• 
  Tony

  Took me a while. But very informative.
• 
  Robin

  Loved this book!
• 
  Pam Page

  enjoyed