Analysis Of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs And Steel

Most civilizations and groups of people are forgotten soon after their destruction. As a society collapses, their role in global history is rarely acknowledged after a few decades. It is only if a society proves to be far bigger and bolder than the surrounding population, that their legacy just may be admired and talked about. Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies tells a tale of how the different peoples came to dominate world history and the factors that made their prosperity prevalent for centauries to follow. From economics to politics to war; the gap of superiority demonstrated by various groups throughout history remains a theme central to this novel. Diamond commences his novel in a way that defines society;

The Spanish peoples presented an advantage of experience in cultivation of agriculture, domestication of animals and technology efficient ships and weapons. Diamond also speaks of the various germs and sicknesses that were consistently exposed to the Spanish, which allowed them to form an immunity to diseases not yet encountered by the Inca (Diamond, 1999). These advantages, both environmental and socio-economic, placed the Spanish at an advantage resulting in a dominant force in history, one that would eventually the Incan Empire.

Dimond moves on and extensively discusses the notion of how “guns, germs, and steel” along with many other factors, demonstrate the ability needed to propel a society forward. Factors such as successful agriculture played an important roll in history. The author points to the large strip of fertile land called the “Fertile Crescent,” present in Eurasia. The Fertile Crescent presents ideal conditions for agricultural prosperity including metallic elements and stable environment for food production spread across connected areas of land (Diamond,

Successful food production led to more densely populated towns and with that came primitive independent economies. In order to control the increasing populations and wealth, forms of governance were established (Anrosio, 2011). The societies that stemmed from factors such as these are what Diamond skillfully argues for the entirety of his work.

The domination of societies in history is a discussion of great complexity and knowledge. While Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies tells a complex tale of how different peoples came to dominate world history, its presentation of material is impressive. Jarred Diamond’s work is an effect recount of how the dominant societies that are remembered still today in history. Coupled with the significant amount of research and analyses that are easy to follow, Diamond’s novel resembles the work a true teacher of