I've read 44 pages since then. Ehhh.. school work. But it is really good, and I can already see how important this book is.
Have you ever wondered why people in Africa have stayed in tribal and band level societies while those of Europe and Asia have formed complex, bureaucratic, state-level societies?
Ever wondered why white Europeans and Americans are the head of companies like Nike, extorting labor from sweatshop workers in Bangladesh and not Bangladeshis extorting Americans and Europeans?
Well, the Klan'll tell you that's our god-given right. And Hitler'll tell you its because whites are genetically superior.
That's bullshit. Jared Diamond's theory, however, is not.
I haven't read far enough to lay out his theory with any sort of accuracy, but what the book does is traces human existence from the start, giving explanations for why some areas developed faster than others. If you want to know what it's all about, read it. I will be too.
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