Guns, Germs & Steel: Brief Book Review
History, from the Beginning (Book #5)
In 2018 I realised my knowledge of history was plain bad. This series charts my re-education, starting from the big bang and working my way to present day one book at a time. (Learn more)
Out of all the books in this series, it’s this one that comes up most often in conversation. I knew I needed something that bridged the gap between the big vision of Earth’s natural history in Fortey’s Life and the nitty gritty of the first emerging human civilisations in the books to follow. Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel served that purpose, and more.
The book begins by asking a simple question: “Why were Europeans, rather than Africans or Native Americans, the ones to end up with guns, the nastiest germs and steel?”. I.e., why did some parts of the world develop faster than others?
Diamond presents a series of well-reasoned and expertly evidenced responses that transformed my understanding of how and why technological progress occurs. A fascinating read that, above any other book on this list, is one everyoneshould pick up.
