An inca procession based on jared diamonds pulitzer prizewinning book of the same name, guns, germs and steel traces humanitys journey over the last,000 years. Jared diamond starts with a proposition every good guardian reader would wish to believe. Yali is one of the few individuals mentioned in the novel. Guns germs and steel by jared diamond distorts history. My notes are informal and often contain quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. A book seeking to answer such questions would have to add a fourth totem of western progress to its title and be. In guns, germs, and steel, jared diamond outlines the theory of geographic determinism, the idea that the differences between societies and societal. Guns, germs, and steel summary the book begins with a preface in which diamond claims that the main purpose of his text is to explain why different countries developed in different manners. The fates of human societies by jared diamond won the pulitzer prize for the first edition, which was published in 1997. What are some of the criticisms of the book guns, germs. Collision at cajamcara, the third chapter of jared diamonds book guns, germs and steel, culminates the first part of the book and his examination of conquered cultures and. Why did europe come to dominate the rest of the world after 1500.
A book seeking to answer such questions would have to add a fourth totem of western progress to its title and be called, perhaps, guns, germs, steel and cocacola. Oct 01, 2012 guns, germs, and steel chapter 2 summarysergio gonzalez in chapter 2 of guns, germs, and steel, jared diamond uses the example of polynesia to defend his theory whether the environments in different places can predict or determine what is going to happen in a community in the future. The fates of human societies from the worlds largest community of readers. Having done field work in new guinea for more than 30 years, jared diamond presents the geographical and ecological factors that have shaped the modern world. In 1998, guns, germs, and steel won the pulitzer prize for general nonfiction and the aventis prize for best science book. Over,000 years of human history are explored in order to explain why societies around the world evolved. May 31, 20 after a time, guns, germs, and steel becomes tedious reading, because, as one anthropology blog notes, its a onenote riff. The fates of human societies previously titled guns, germs and steel. This is a book summary of guns, germs, and steel by jared diamond. Indepth summary and analysis of every chapter of guns, germs, and steel. This short summary and analysis of guns, germs, and steel by jared diamond includes. The total absence of individual agency and interpretation of.
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. History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences. Guns, germs, and steel by jared diamond plot summary litcharts. This barcode number lets you verify that youre getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. Almost immediately, the book sold much better than most. In jared diamonds followup to the pulitzerprize winning guns, germs and steel, the author explores how climate change, the population explosion, and political discord create the conditions for the collapse of civilization. The reception of guns, germs, and steel by academics has been mixed.
The book is framed as a response to a question that diamond heard from yali, a charismatic new guinean politician. What are some of the criticisms of the book guns, germs, and. The great thing about guns, germs and steel is the detail. Accessories such as cd, codes, toys, and dust jackets may not be included. About guns, germs, and steel guns, germs, and steel summary character list glossary themes quotes and analysis part 1. The fates of human societies has had the kind of impact.
Find summaries for every chapter, including a guns, germs, and steel chapter summary chart to. This is an interesting book written by a physiologist and evolutionary biologist, very broad in its scope, thoughtprovoking and challenging, for the most part refreshing in its outlook definitely not eurocentric. An examination of guns, germs, and steel by jared diamond yali posed an interesting question. The maize festival, 192324 detail overall impression. Guns, germs, and steel book summary take quiz lesson 3 guns, germs.
Nevertheless, with its macrocosmic scope and easy, readable style the book bears comparison with earlier works of social science like argonauts of the western pacific 1922 by the anthropologist bronislaw malinowski, which studies the structures of west pacific societies, and tristes tropiques 1955 by the. Critical summary of guns, germs, and steel the fates of human. The fates of human societies has had the kind of impact that most scholarly authors can only dream about for their works. The fates of human societies, jared diamond the book attempts to explain why eurasian and north african civilizations have survived and conquered others, while arguing against the idea that eurasian hegemony is due to any form of eurasian intellectual, moral, or inherent genetic superiority. Jared diamonds guns, germs and steel is a decent book with a laudable aim. Full text of jared diamond guns germs and steel see other formats. It will be two discs that include three, 1hour episodes.
Guns, germs, and steel study guide contains a biography of jared diamond, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a. The fates of human societies is such an intellectually rich work that it really does take more than one reading in order to be fully absorbed. Find summaries for every chapter, including a guns, germs, and steel chapter summary chart to help you understand the book. This is my book summary of guns, germs, and steel by jared diamond. Guns, germs, and steel reconsidered inside higher ed. Diamond sums up his book with the following sentence, history followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples environments, not because of biological. Environmental damage, climate change, globalization, rapid population growth, and unwise political choices were all factors in the demise of societies around the world. Guns, germs, and steel study guide course online video.
This summary also includes key lessons and important passages from the book. Guns, germs, and steel chapter by chapter summary essay 969. Based on the book by jared diamond smart summaries. One interesting thing i found throughout the book is diamonds reference to humans killing other humans, as though that were the natural result of. In order to access these resources, you will need to sign in or register for the website takes literally 1 minute. This approach distances diamonds analysis from much of the current literature on cultural interactions in. Net by joel mokyr, departments of economics and history, northwestern university. This brief overview of guns, germs, and steel tells you what you need to knowbefore or after you read jared diamonds book. Jan 17, 2011 this was the question jared diamond posed in his book guns, germs, and steel. This means that, for the rest of the book, diamond will trace how guns, germs, and steel came to exist in certain societies and not in others. Feb 19, 2010 the great thing about guns, germs and steel is the detail.
As a work of social science, guns, germs, and steel has few overt literary influences. Jared diamond starts with a proposition every good guardian reader would wish to believe that all humans are born with much the same. It is strangely ironic that western intellectuals have gone from measuring their skull capacity to p. If you prefer to read the book instead you may do so. The fates of human societies is een boek van jared diamond dat in 1997 werd uitgegeven.
Analysis from the first chapter, diamond guides his readers carefully and explicitly. Should you choose to purchase, i will receive a very. What does jared diamonds guns, germs, and steel have to. This lesson is a summary of jared diamonds book, guns, germs and steel. Guns, germs, and steel is thus something of a reading requirement that will give one an overall view, of the evolution of populations, the development of societies, and the history of conquests. Guns, germs, and steel by jared diamond is a nonfiction book that explores why some societies are more materially successful than others.
A short history of everybody for the last,000 years is a 1997 transdisciplinary nonfiction book by jared diamond. Possible ex library copy, with all the markingsstickers of that library. Guns, germs, and steel study guide literature guide litcharts. Why, according to guns, germs, and steel, did some people not develop writing. Welcome to the litcharts study guide on jared diamonds guns, germs, and steel. Many have praised the book for its synthesis of different subjects, but note that the large. Based on jared diamonds pulitzer prizewinning book of the same name, guns, germs and steel traces humanitys journey over the last,000 years from the dawn of farming at the end of the. This 74pages guide for guns, germs and steel by jared diamond includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 19 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis.
Crafted and edited with care, worth books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a wellinformed reader. Norton in 1997, the book won a pulitzer prize the next. Though necessity is sometimes the mother to invention e. A pbs documentary concerning jared diamonds theory on why there is such disparity between those who have advanced technology and those who still live primitively. The new information did not change any of the original editions conclusions. Guns, germs, and steel by jared diamond there was a bunch of special pleading and some downright nuttiness. In this lesson, diamonds anthropological theory that history unfolds. Jared diamond, in his book guns, germs, and steel, concludes that. Guns, germs and steel lays a foundation for understanding human history, which makes it fascinating in its own right. Guns, germs, and steel chapter 2 summarysergio gonzalez in chapter 2 of guns, germs, and steel, jared diamond uses the example of polynesia to defend his theory whether the environments in different places can predict or determine what is going to happen in a community in the future. Diamond mentions yali, a new guinean politician interested in the history of his country and the colonization of new guinea. Zwaarden, paarden en ziektekiemen guns, germs, and steel.
However, as i discuss in my blogpost anthroflopology, the book has serious shortcomings as a popular critique. Diamond sums up his book with the following sentence, history followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves pg 25. Guns, germs, and steel chapter by chapter summary essay. Jared diamonds theory of global differences in his book entitled guns, germs, and steel is the result of geography and climate and not human differences such as race and culture. This guns, germs, and steel study guide course can help students prepare for exams or complete homework assignments. Created by the original team behind sparknotes, litcharts are the worlds. Farming and domesticating animals provided stability that. Because it brilliantly describes how chance advantages can lead to early success in a highly competitive environment, it also offers useful lessons for the business world and for people interested in why technologies succeed. Anthropologys guns, germs, and steel problem savage minds. Diamond introduces his book by pointing out that history followed different courses for different people because of differences among peoples environments, not because of biological differences among people.
Guns, germs and steel and a ploughmans lunch agriculture. Notes and queries in anthropology a group blog anthropologys guns, germs, and steel problem helen says. And some of the criticism also notes diamonds star status. Full text of jared diamondguns germs and steel see other formats. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. In guns, germs, and steel, jared diamond outlines the theory of geographic determinism, the idea that the differences between societies and societal development arise primarily from geographical causes. Guns, germs, and steel coursenotes free notes, outlines. Jared diamonds guns, germs, and steel chapter summary. Guns, germs and steel summary history followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves guns, germs and steel jared was studying bird watching in new guinea when he came across a local politician yali. Critical summary of guns, germs, and steel the fates of human societies by jared diamond dennis bergot seminar paper economy environment. After identifying a point in time when all societies were roughly equal over,000 years ago, diamond identified the key variables that allowed some societies to develop highly complex, materialrich societies, while others developed at much slower rates.
The future of human history as a science symbols, allegory. Guns, germs and steel chapter 2 summary essay 389 words. Guns, germs, and steel chapter summaries course hero. For its conceptual achievement, the book won the 1998 pulitzer prize for diamond, a geography and physiology professor at the ucla school of medicine, as well as a 1999 national medal of science, and a. After a time, guns, germs, and steel becomes tedious reading, because, as one anthropology blog notes, its a onenote riff. Guns, germs and steel examines the rise of civilization and the issues its development has raised throughout history. Jared diamond is a biology professor at the university of california. He argues it is due to the acquisition of guns and steel and the changes brought about by. The fates of human societies attempts to explain why history progressed differently for peoples from various geographical regions. Pages contain marginal notes, underlining, and or highlighting.
577 493 683 1361 81 533 572 440 501 772 1618 786 1649 1598 1229 627 375 563 286 696 1211 1452 1058 980 425 31 1100 1232 1123 311 728