Guns, Germs And Steel

GUNS, GERMS AND STEEL is nothing less than an enquiry into the reasons why Europe and the Near East became the cradle of modern societies-eventually giving rise to capitalism and science, the dominant forces in our contemporary world-and why, until modern times. Africa, Australasia and the Americas lagged behind in technological sophistication and in political and military power. The native peoples of those continents are still suffering the consequences.

Diamond shows definitively that the origins of this inequality in human fortunes cannot be laid at the door of race or inherent features of the people themselves. He argues that the inequality stems instaed from the differing natural resources available to the people of each continent.

About the Author

Jared Diamond is Professor of Physiology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Trained in physiology, he later took up the study of ecology and has made fundamental contributions to both disciplines. He is among the worlds leading zoologists and experts on birds. He has made many trips to the mountains of New Guinea to study their unique birds, rediscovered their long-lost bowerbird, and advises New Guinea governments on conservation. As well as writing technical articles in his many fields of interest, Jared Diamond writes regularly for popular science journals. He is married, and has twin sons.