Guns, Germs, and Steel

The Fates of Human Societies

By: Jared Diamond

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize Winner, General Nonfiction, 1998

In this groundbreaking work, evolutionary biologist Jared Diamond stunningly dismantles racially based theories of human history by revealing the environmental factors actually responsible for history's broadest patterns. It is a story that spans 13,000 years of human history, beginning when Stone Age hunter-gatherers constituted the entire human population. Guns, Germs, and Steel is a world history that really is a history of all the world's peoples, a unified narrative of human life.

©1997 Jared Diamond (P)2001 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"The scope and explanatory power of this book are astounding." (The New Yorker)

"Guns, Germs, and Steel is an artful, informative, and delightful book....There is nothing like a radically new angle of vision for bringing out unsuspected dimensions of a subject." (The New York Review of Books)

Interesting and thought provoking

Interesting theory summarizing all of history based on geography, flora, fauna, guns, germs, and steel.

Abridged Version not enough

Just when you start to follow his ideas and find them interesting...it ends! I got the plants, animals and germs part but I guess I have to buy the book to get the guns and steel ending!
Interesting and enlightening audiobook though.

Very interesting listen.

I absolutely enjoyed this book, when I would stop listening I couldn't wait until I started again. He has some very interesting theories and facts that are presented in an enjoyable educational way. Although some of the theories presented I don't agree with, he does list some important things to think about. If you are fascinated by culture, and want to understand the history of humans this is a good place to start.

Interesting takes

Some interesting theories are proposed. Narration was good. I be listened twice and enjoy history. Boo feels like a good professor giving a 3-4 class seminar.

Fantastic Narration of Fascinating Facts

More than liked it, admired is more on point. My father recommended this book after watching the Nat Geo documentary. He is an excellent source of great learning. I’m considering this book to be a cornerstone in building a solid understanding of why and how things are the way they are. By things, I mean human civilization. Fortunately the narration was audibly pleasant and commanded my attention. (Not all great books on Audible have great narration, in fact a sad few are intolerable to listen to. Thank you Audible for your no questions asked return policy!)

Strong Start

It has a good setup, but focuses on the western world more than the global history. Still, somewhat worth listening to.

Compelling argument

Great book, I would very much recommend the abridged version. Great arguments too. This makes total sense amd is in no way racist, like some would have you believe. Environmental determinism is a valid idea in my eyes and this book really helps the reader to understand it.

Pertinent, thorough, fascinating history book

Jared Diamond clearly put a lot of research into putting together this book. The explanations of the role of agriculture and disease are understable and accessable to any reader, as well as thoroughly backed-up with evidence, which is important for a book making such strong claims about the history of human societies and colonialism. Unique, fascinating, pertinent read that I would recommend to anyone interested in how the world came to be what it is today.

Can be a little redundant...

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narrator did a pretty good job. It's an informative book, of course, so there's not much play to be had. That being said, the narrator was not monotonous and held my interest throughout the book.

Any additional comments?

This book takes a look at why Western technology and society advanced as it did while other societies did not, despite some of them having an enormous "head start". It confronts and tosses aside a Western superiority complex and instead seeks to explain our history and future using science and deduction.

Even in the abridged version, the author can repeat himself often. It seems sometimes there's five or ten minutes worth of audio for explaining a concept that could have easily been summarized in just a few sentences. Look past this small little annoyance, though, and the book is informative and makes you think.

Great if you skip the introduction

This author wants to point out SEVERAL times that he is trying to be non biased, but it is just overkill. The rest of the book is very interesting though.