Guns, Germs and Steel

This book should be on the curriculum for every student of history, anthropology, geography or linguistics. While perhaps not every conclusion is correct in every particular, Diamond's broad thesis that environmental, rather than genetic or cultural, factors are the predominant cause of the broad sweep of human history seems incontrovertible. Moreover, the wide-ranging examples used to support the thesis are not only compelling but individually fascinating in their own right. The proposition that history can and should be considered from a scientific point of view is also one I thoroughly agree with. The book is engaging, eminently readable and Diamond is clearly a man of broad knowledge and interests and delights in relaying this to his readers. It's hard to praise Guns, Germs & Steel enough.