An edition of Guns, germs, and steel (1997)

Guns, germs, and steel

the fates of human societies

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Cover of: Guns, germs, and steel by Jared M. Diamond, Jared M. Diamond
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  • ★★★★ 4.1 (151 ratings)
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  • 55 Currently reading
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Last edited by Tom Morris
June 12, 2025 | History
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An edition of Guns, germs, and steel (1997)

Guns, germs, and steel

the fates of human societies

by

  • ★★★★ 4.1 (151 ratings)
  • 820 Want to read
  • 55 Currently reading
  • 185 Have read

An epic detective story that offers a gripping expose on why the world is so unequal. Professor Jared Diamond traveled the globe for over 30 years trying to answer this question.

Publish Date
Publisher
W.W. Norton
Language
English
Pages
494

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Subjects

prize:pulitzer=1998 Ethnology Criticism and interpretation Culture diffusion Effect of environment on Civilization Human beings Social evolution History Sociale evolutie Cultuur Évolution sociale Geografia (historia) Geologia historica Civilisation Influence de l'environnement Influence sur la nature Histoire Diffusion culturelle Historia Effets de l'environnement Ethnologie Homme Long Now Manual for Civilization Biological Evolution Verden Social anthropology Entwicklung Geschichte Etnologia (evolução;civilização;cultura) Civilização (história) Gesellschaft Ciências humanas Zivilisation Menschheit World Cultural Evolution Historie Soziale Evolution 15.50 general world history; history of great parts of the world, peoples, civilizations: general Natuurlijke hulpbronnen Wereldgeschiedenis Methods Medical Sociology Culturele verschillen Social Environment Human beings, effect of environment on Civilization, history Human geography Economische ontwikkeling Effet de l'environnement Diffusion de la culture Världshistoria Internationell konkurrens Ekonomisk geografi Livsmedel Växter Husdjur Arkeologi World history Economic geography Economic history Food production Agriculture Socioeconomic organization Antropologi Civilization--history Human beings--effect of environment on Sociology, medical--methods Hm206 .d48 1997 Hm 206 d537g 1999 303.4 Social behavior Hm206 .d48 2005 Hm206 .d48 1999

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Jared M. Diamond

Showing 11 featured editions. View all 58 editions?

Edition Availability
Cover of: Guns, Germs, and Steel
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
2017, W. W. Norton & Company
paperback in English
Cover of: Armas, germenes y acero (Spanish Edition)
Armas, germenes y acero (Spanish Edition)
2013-04-01, Debolsillo
Cover of: De l'Inegalite Parmi les Societes
De l'Inegalite Parmi les Societes
2007-09-01, Gallimard Education
in French
Cover of: Vete, vapen & virus
Vete, vapen & virus: en kort sammanfattning av mänsklighetens historia under de senaste 13 000 åren
2006, Norstedt
in Swedish - [Ny utg.].
Cover of: Guns, germs, and steel
Guns, germs, and steel
2005, W. W. Norton & Company
in English
Cover of: Guns, germs, and steel
Guns, germs, and steel: the fates of human societies
2003, W.W. Norton
in English
Cover of: Guns, Germs, and Steel
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
1999, W.W. Norton & Co.
in English
Cover of: Guns, germs, and steel
Guns, germs, and steel
1999, W. W. Norton & Company, W.W. Norton
in English
Cover of: Armas, gérmenes y acero
Armas, gérmenes y acero: la sociedad humana y sus destinos
1998, Debate
in Spanish - 1a ed.
Cover of: Guns, Germs, and Steel
Guns, Germs, and Steel: A Short History of Everybody For the Last 13,000 Years
1998, Random House
Paperback
Cover of: Guns, germs, and steel
Guns, germs, and steel
1997, W. W. Norton & Company, W.W. Norton & Co.
in English

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Book Details

Table of Contents

Preface to the Paperback Edition.
PROLOGUE. YALI’S QUESTION
The regionally differing courses of history
PART ONE. FROM EDEN TO CAJAMARCA
CHAPTER 1. UP TO THE STARTING LINE
What happened on all the continents before 11,000 B.C.?
CHAPTER 2. A NATURAL EXPERIMENT OF HISTORY
How geography molded societies on Polynesian islands
CHAPTER 3. COLLISION AT CAJAMARCA
Why the Inca emperor Atahuallpa did not capture King Charles I of Spain
PART TWO. THE RISE AND SPREAD OF FOOD PRODUCTION
CHAPTER 4. FARMER POWER
The roots of guns, germs, and steel
CHAPTER 5. HISTORY’S HAVES AND HAVE-NOTS
Geographic differences in the onset of food production
CHAPTER 6. TO FARM OR NOT TO FARM
Causes of the spread of food production
CHAPTER 7. HOW TO MAKE AN ALMOND
The unconscious development of ancient crops
CHAPTER 8. APPLES OR INDIANS
Why did peoples of some regions fail to domesticate plants?
CHAPTER 9. ZEBRAS, UNHAPPY MARRIAGES, AND THEANNA KARENINA PRINCIPLE
Why were most big wild mammal species never domesticated?
CHAPTER 10. SPACIOUS SKIES AND TILTED AXES
Why did food production spread at different rates on different continents?
PART THREE. FROM FOOD TO GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL
CHAPTER 11. LETHAL GIFT OF LIVESTOCK
The evolution of germs
CHAPTER 12. BLUEPRINTS AND BORROWED LETTERS
The evolution of writing
CHAPTER 13. NECESSITY’S MOTHER
The evolution of technology
CHAPTER 14. FROM EGALITARIANISM TO KLEPTOCRACY
The evolution of government and religion
PART FOUR. AROUND THE WORLD IN FIVE CHAPTERS
CHAPTER 15. YALI’S PEOPLE
The histories of Australia and New Guinea
CHAPTER 16. HOW CHINA BECAME CHINESE
The history of East Asia
CHAPTER 17. SPEEDBOAT TO POLYNESIA
The history of the Austronesian expansion
CHAPTER 18. HEMISPHERES COLLIDING
The histories of Eurasia and the Americas compared
CHAPTER 19. HOW AFRICA BECAME BLACK
The history of Africa
EPILOGUE. THE FUTURE OF HUMAN HISTORY AS A SCIENCE
2003 Afterword. Guns, Germs, and Steel Today
Acknowledgments.
Further Readings.
Credits.
INDEX.

Edition Notes

"With a new afterword about the modern world"--Cover.

Includes "Reading group guide"--p. [495-496].

Includes bibliographical references (p. 442-471) and index.

Published in
New York

Classifications

Dewey Decimal Class
303.4
Library of Congress
HM206 D48 2003, HM206 .D48 1999, HM856 .D48 1997

The Physical Object

Pagination
494, [2] p., [32] p. of plates :
Number of pages
494

Edition Identifiers

Open Library
OL18791934M
ISBN 10
0393317552
LCCN
2005284124, 96037068
OCLC/WorldCat
51882461, 61484921
LibraryThing
2567
Goodreads
76919

Work Identifiers

Work ID
OL276558W

Source records

Excerpts

A suitable starting point from which to compare historical developments on the different continents is around 11,000 B.C.
added anonymously.

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