Guns, Germs, and Steel

The Fates of Human Societies

Jared Diamond examines why Eurasian societies developed greater political power, technology, and agricultural productivity than societies in other parts of the world. He argues that geography, the availability of domesticable plants and animals, and the resulting exposure to germs shaped these long-term differences. The book traces how food production, population density, political organization, and technology contributed to the global distribution of wealth and power.

by Jared Diamond

W. W. Norton · First published 1997 · 494 pages