Book Review: Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
I recently borrowed the audiobook of Guns, Germs, and Steel from my local library and listened to it passively during my daily commute.
The book explores a fascinating question: why did some societies advance faster than others? Jared Diamond argues that it wasn’t about intelligence, ambition, or culture, but rather the environmental advantages certain regions had—like access to fertile land, domesticable plants and animals, and early exposure to diseases. These factors gave some civilizations a head start, shaping technology, agriculture, and even patterns of conquest.
Even though I wasn’t giving it my full focus, I found Diamond’s explanations compelling and thought-provoking. The way he connects history, anthropology, geography, and biology into a single narrative is impressive, and it definitely changed how I think about the forces that shaped our modern world.
If you enjoy big-picture history and want to understand how geography and environment influenced the world we live in today, this one’s worth checking out.