Ed Bernard answers “Despite the fascinating subject matter I...”

Lauren asked this question about Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies:

Despite the fascinating subject matter I found this book a bit dry. I found the book almost as boring as the mandatory ongoing professional development class pursuant to my subversive reading of a book connected to reality that led me to the initial acquisition of the book. Nevertheless; Mr. Diamond's knowledge and subject matter expertise would be---in my opinion--beyond reproach. Any Thoughts?

Ed Bernard I recently re-listened to it, and here's what I wrote in my capsule review:

This is a re-listen for me, I’d read this book many years ago. And here’s t…moreI recently re-listened to it, and here's what I wrote in my capsule review:

This is a re-listen for me, I’d read this book many years ago. And here’s the thing - while this is one of the most important ethno-histories ever written, it’s not a great book. Yes, the ideas are important and the scholarship is first-rate — Diamond frames his narrative around Yali, a native of New Guinea who asks him “why did YOUR people create and export so much cargo (by which we can read “wealth”) and mine did not?” This question allows him to examine why some civilizations thrive (by modern western standards, which Diamond neither debates nor judges, just accepts because that’s what Yali asked) and others do not. And really, the answer is in the title — they (we) have guns while the Incas, say, did not, natives had no immunity for our diseases because they were more isolated, and they lacked the ability to control food production as efficiently as we did because we had steel. Modern development depends on these things, and when I first read this book, these ideas were more than simply fascinating — they changed by ideas about history. Now, here’s the problem — the book is rather boring, because it has too many examples, too much detail, and takes too long to prove its points. Because it is so exhaustive, it makes the scholarship stronger — but makes it a bit tiresome for the reader. Back in 1997, when the book was written (and I first read it), these ideas (and the racist philosophies they undermined) were new to me and exciting — now, the poorly written prose and flood of information just had me waiting for the end. Too bad, and a bit embarrassing, but ya gotta call em like you see em.

Grade: B
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Guns, Germs, and Steel

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