Guns, Germs and Steel

The Fate of Human Societies

By: Jared Diamond

Narrated by: Doug Ordunio

Length: 16 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize, General Nonfiction, 1998

Guns, Germs and Steel examines the rise of civilization and the issues its development has raised throughout history.

Having done field work in New Guinea for more than 30 years, Jared Diamond presents the geographical and ecological factors that have shaped the modern world. From the viewpoint of an evolutionary biologist, he highlights the broadest movements both literal and conceptual on every continent since the Ice Age, and examines societal advances such as writing, religion, government, and technology. Diamond also dissects racial theories of global history, and the resulting work—Guns, Germs and Steel—is a major contribution to our understanding the evolution of human societies.

©1997 Jared Diamond (P)2011 Random House

Fascinating, Comprehensive, and Detailed

Thorough text. A must read for history lovers. Great reader. Gonna check out colllapse next!

Great book, poor narration

This is a great and thought provoking book, just what I've come to appreciate and expect from Jared Diamond.
Unfortunately, the narration is so dull it makes it incredibly difficult to keep engaged with the story. His voice is monotone and devoid of meaningful inflections, and throaty, I keep waiting for him to clear his throat, it turns this in to a very dry listen. Significantly reduces my enjoyment of this incredible book.

great book, worth a listen

Would you listen to Guns, Germs and Steel again? Why?

Yes, it is a fascinating and convincing interpretation of evolution using contemporary, historical and archeological evidence.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would have liked to, but it is too long for a one-sitting work. I was driven to get through by the power of the arguments and of the prose.

Very Interesting yet quite boring

I almost rated this three stars but I think the information alone is worth four. The narrator isn't too bad, about a three out of five. I wouldn't not listen to this just because it can get boring though. You'd think they could come out with an abridged version so it wouldn't get so lengthy at times. Worth a listen if you have an interest in this area of history.

Great book - Extremely boring reader

I was very excited to see that G G & S was now available in an unabridged version at audible. I jumped in right away. The book is very interesting but it is hard to follow and on top of this the reader is soporific. It is so monotonous that I was constantly rewinding to re listen. In similar terms, I had previously listened to Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything and the reader was so much enthusiastic and passionate. As I said the book is great, but if you plan to listen it while you drive, pay extra care!

rebute racism and eurocentric "history"

it will surprise you, perhaps even change your mind about a few things, but most importantly, it will open your mind.

Intriguing topic but dry writing

I enjoyed the premise of the book and thought it would be an interesting history of civilizations. I was excited to review the comparative advantages that certain civilizations had, and while the book contained a plethora of interesting facts and details, It ultimately was written in a way that was just very monotonous.

Outstanding.

This book is very deep and thouroughly researched. It presents a very convincing argument that geography is a very great factor in world history. Indeed, the predominant factor.

Very Educational

Definitely enjoyed the book. I do feel the last quarter of book was difficult to get through. The author over explains and gives repeated examples to prove his point. However he must do this to support his views. O feel I have a much better grasp of pre-history and why events played out as the did which is very nice.

I was really excited for this book but...

So I was really excited for this book. It is ALWAYS checked out at the library and it's a large read. I really thought this would be a great listen for time reasons and my local availability. But gosh the narrator is sooooo slow and the story seems sooooo dull and monotone.