(Shortform note: While we’ve described knowledge, governments, and diseases as advantages, Diamond isn’t arguing that humanity is better off for having developed in this way. Diamond believes that each advantage was made possible by incidental geographic and environmental conditions that led to the rise of bountiful food production first in Eurasia. With these advantages, Eurasian colonists came to dominate much of the world. Infectious diseases to which they were largely immune.Centralized governments that supported complex infrastructure and the efficient management of resources.Advanced knowledge that led to written language, durable weapons, oceangoing vessels, and other sophisticated technologies.These differences led Eurasians-people living in Asia, Europe, and North Africa, by Diamond’s account-to historically have strategic advantages over non-Eurasians.Īccording to Diamond, these Eurasian advantages included: He became convinced that differences between such societies were caused by environmental factors that affected their historical development, not biological differences between the people of the societies. It was there that he became interested in figuring out why the local tribespeople-whom he saw as every bit as intelligent and capable as he-never developed writing, steel tools, centralized governments, or a complex society like that of the British colonists who annexed New Guinea in the 19th century. Guns, Germs, and Steel: Book OverviewĪfter completing his doctorate at Cambridge University, Diamond did research among the remote tribes of New Guinea.

Keep reading for an overview of Diamond’s award-winning book. It was named one of TIME’s best non-fiction books of all time, awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1998, and turned into a PBS documentary released in 2005. Guns, Germs, and Steel is Jared Diamond’s attempt to determine why societies historically took different paths. What is Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond about? What are the key takeaways from the book? Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here.

Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading. This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to 'Guns, Germs, and Steel' by Jared Diamond.

Guns germs and steel