Have you ever wondered why certain societies were more successful than others? Well, Jared Diamond can provide answers more satisfying than they had better weapons, their army was too powerful, or they spread deadly diseases to local populations. Diamond explains in great detail, how human society evolved and how their different environments shaped how they developed.
I spent quite a while reading this book. The beginning was a little hard for me to process, but as I continued to read, I began understanding what I was reading and putting the story together with what I knew. It’s just crazy! While reading, I would just tell my parents a little fact that I would read because I wanted to tell them what exactly I was reading about, and I wanted to share the knowledge. Every little fact just blew my mind! For example:
When Australia and Papua New Guinea were one landmass, it was home to large animals like marsupial leopards, 400 pound flightless birds, and crocodiles that lived on land before humans came around! It is believed that the humans killed them all because of their improved hunting skills and these animals evolved without the presence of humans, so they didn’t learn to be afraid of them like many others did in other parts of the world.
Diamond openly admits that there are not always clear answers, even now. He gives the best explanation he can give with the knowledge he has collected in his career. Sometimes that involves saying that there just isn’t enough information right now to make a definitive assumption. The details are important because of the big difference they can make, as Diamond often stresses throughout his book. “The devil is in the details”, as the saying goes! Although this all sounds quite intimidating, Diamond does break things down and he is also very passionate about the topic that he is writing about. This comes through in his writing and makes the reader excited to learn about his exploration into human history!
I love the whole set up as the background imaging creates a sense of mystery and eeriness. I enjoy not only about the book itself but you bring light upon how it was to read it and your experience while reading it.
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