Summary of Guns, Germs, and Steel

For this post I am attempting to summarize Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel. I understand that I am suppose to quote a paragraph or so. But for this post, I might as well quote the whole book, and, frankly, nobody has the time for that. So here it goes...

At the beginning of his book, Diamond relates a previous experience where he carried on an engaging conversation with a prominent New Guinea official named Yali. During the conversation, Yali posed a perplexing question to Diamond:

"Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brought it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own?" 

This question lays the foundation for the rest of the book. From here, Diamond attempts to analyze the different factors which contributed to the major disparities between different world societies and the progression of Eurasian-derived civilization to dominance. So why did Europeans conquer the Native Americans, and why didn't the reverse occur? Why are some societies categorically more advanced than others? Diamond uses archaeological evidence as well as examples in history in an attempt to clarify disparate societal development.

At first, Diamond explains the ancestral beginnings of mankind starting from Africa and outward throughout Eurasia, Indonesia, Australia, and North and South America   although with relative brevity so as to draw greater focus on individual concepts rather than continents. After pondering what provided certain people groups with significant advantages, he highlights specific historical examples of disparity resulting in conquest. He first focuses on the Polynesians noting the environmental factors in shaping the distinct and varied Polynesian societies throughout the Pacific Islands. The example acts as a model for the rest of the world in its societal developments from a single ancestry to an expansive diversion of peoples. Next, Diamond highlights the convergence of the Spanish and Inca, between Pizarro and Atahualpa respectively, and the subsequent Spanish conquest of the Incan Empire. Rather than focusing primarily upon the environmental factors, this example identifies the biological factor of disease and the military imbalance due to technological innovation.

Forward from here, Diamond attempts to isolate the factors which contributed to the rise of Eurasian civilizations and the seemingly inhibited development of others. His primary argument lies in the foundation of food production. But, according to Diamond, food production alone did not guarantee the success of Eurasian peoples. Food surplus generated by food production promoted sedentary lifestyles, which, in turn, promoted population growth and consequently political organization, technological innovation, and, not of the least important, disease. However, Diamond acknowledges that several other factors played key roles. It is also interesting to note that agriculture was not always readily embraced over the earlier hunter-gatherer methods reflecting that agriculture was not always advantageous in certain regions. What's more, Diamond points to the requirement of certain traits in plants and animals which facilitate domestication. Eurasian people, for example were able to domesticate fourteen different animals whereas very few, if any, were domesticated elsewhere. Domesticated plants in Eurasia contained larger seeds as well as a higher protein content. Both of these factors led to improved agricultural efficiency, increased technological innovation, and the development of epidemic disease. In contrast, other people groups lacked these advantages and, when introduced to Europeans, were unable to oppose militarily and suffered greatly from foreign diseases. One of the greatest factors that inhibited the societal development of certain regions was the geographical orientation of the continents along either a north-south or east-west axis. A north-south axis generated environmental barriers inhibiting the diffusion crops, livestock, technology, people, and ideas. An east-west axis facilitated the diffusion of such things as it remained along a particular latitude generating little variation in climate.

Diamonds next series of concepts revolves around the development of diseases and diffusion of ideas such as technology and writing systems. Apparently, the majority of diseases are derived from animals, primarily domesticated animals with which we maintain constant interaction. This is important because it explains why Eurasian peoples developed a variety of different diseases and other people groups   most infamously the Native Americans   did not.

The development of unique writing systems are another topic of societal growth that Diamond discusses. The initial importance of writing was merely for record-keeping purposes. It helped maintain political organization, collect taxes, and keep track of the economy. However, an extensive writing system was not necessary for the functions of a vast empire; the Incan Empire never devised a system of writing, instead resorting to a record-keeping system utilizing ropes and knots. Still, Diamond acknowledges that the Spanish had a decisive edge over the Inca for that very reason. The Inca were inhibited in terms of communication, whereas the Spanish could maintain clear communication and even relate their experiences, as well as vital information, to individuals back in Europe.

Next, Diamond discusses the diffusion of technology. He explains that necessity does not bring about technology, but that technology brings about necessity; the inventor must convinces his/her peers of the advantages of their device. He also explains that certain factors are necessary before a device is considered advantageous or worthy which is highly dependent upon the receptiveness of the particular society. He cites an example of a nearly 4000 year old clay disk which utilized the efficiency of stamps to produce written language and compares it to the printing press. The clay disk, although utilizing highly efficient technology, never caught on because the only literate individuals at the time were record-keeping scribes whom had no use for the technology. In contrast, the printing press   also utilizing a system of stamps   was embraced. This had largely to do with the fact that the invention of paper was a much more efficient medium, recreational literature was more prominent, and literacy was rising among the general public.

Diamond also elaborates the various transitions of political organization from bands of individuals to states and empires. However, I found this section somewhat less important except for in understanding the relationship between food production and chiefdoms, although the correlation is somewhat fuzzy.

The rest of the book attempts to apply the factors previously discussed to specific regions around the world and throughout history as it relates to the present. He covers the disparate cultures of New Guinea, the monolithic society of China, the spread of Polynesia, the Native American collision with Europeans, and the transformation of African societies.