Science Books by Jared Diamond

[Lunar_Lander]

Hi everybody,

I would like to discuss the theories and books by Jared Diamond with you. Through my biology teacher I learned of The Third Chimpanzee which I picked up at my city's library the next day. It was really a great read and it brought me to buy the 2006 version of the book. Because it was so well written, I also bought it as a birthday present for my best mate, who also enjoyed reading it.

Now I got Guns, Germs and Steel as a Christmas Present, which I also read (I'm not completely finished, but I've read about 40%). Also a great read, easy to understand and not too un-scientific (as some popular science books sometimes are).

In both books I like the fact that the development of the humans is described without putting anyone on the negative side. In fact, he says at the beginning of Guns, Germs and Steel, that the average man from New Guinea is more intelligent than the average European or US citizen (he also points out the difficulties associated with IQ tests). This he says to falsify the argument by some people, that the people of New Guinea were too stupid to build a civilization like us.

This is good, because it proves, that any racist theory is likely to be wrong. I remember somebody asking at another Forum, if there are any counter-positions to Diamond's theories, and he was told that it would be difficult to find any due to Diamond's anti-racism, which would mean that any other theory would be racist.

Did you read the books? What do you think of them and what do you think of the things I just wrote?

 

[n72.75]

I have read Guns Germs and Steel and i want to read Collapse.

 

[movieman]

He's interesting, but overrated, IMHO. I found 'The Collapse of Complex Societies' far more convincing than 'Collapse', though 'Guns, Germs and Steel' made some good points.

 

[Usonian]

Guns, Germs, and Steel is a favorite of mine. It basically offers a plausible explanation of everything -- why the world is the way it is, with people of European extraction "on top." Diamond's therories are entirely non-racist, but he still takes some heat for simply making the politically incorrect observation that Europeans are on top.

Collapse is a logical extension of GG&S -- the inevitable fate of thoughtless top dogs. I don't think it is as well written as GG&S, but it's still a good read.

 

[Lunar_Lander]

I can agree to all of your points given here. Additionally I like the fact that you learn side facts and trivia while reading the books, i.e. in the chapter on domestication of animals, he explanins that Zebras weren't domesticated because of their habit to bite people and not letting them go again. He then gives the fact that Zebras actually hurt more zoo staff members than tigers every year!

And I just like these little extra bits of info .

 

[Urwumpe]

..., but he still takes some heat for simply making the politically incorrect observation that Europeans are on top.

Hey, we are on top! You might just not know it yet.