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jjvaldezbooks's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.0
if this is the abridged version, I fear what he had to say for 10 more hours in the unabridged 👀
anyway this guy does an okay job for a biologist I guess, probably an anthropologist would have done better. really conveniently stops talking about differences in opportunities that each continent had right around the same time period that colonization ravaged certain areas
NK Jemison really out here bullying me with suggestions for worldbuilding books when I think reading a summary would have been fine
anyway this guy does an okay job for a biologist I guess, probably an anthropologist would have done better. really conveniently stops talking about differences in opportunities that each continent had right around the same time period that colonization ravaged certain areas
NK Jemison really out here bullying me with suggestions for worldbuilding books when I think reading a summary would have been fine
mcath_hartmann's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
This was a mind-blowing book for me when I first read it 15 years ago, but it seems outdated now. I've watched a YouTube review recently that de-bunked some of Diamond's theory from "Guns, Germs, and Steel", such as there was, in fact, technological exchange going on in the Americas and Africa despite what his geographically-driven theory claims about east-west vs. north-south orientations of Europe/Asia and Americas/Africa. I was going to give it a 3.5, but I bumped it up to 3.75 because I think it is a classic in the genre of popular anthropology. I believe it's important to get exposure to the classics, even if they contain inaccurate information and specious academic theories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Racism
Moderate: Genocide
ninette's review against another edition
1.0
Read the excellent article "F**k Jared Diamond" by David Correia instead. It's way shorter, easily accessable online and frankly all you need to know about this exceptionally offensive and stupid book.
stephaniesteen73's review against another edition
4.0
I tried several times to pick up this book and read it, and while the premise is fascinating, the printed word did not hold my attention. However, I found that audio was a lot easier for this one despite its massive time commitment (+16 hours!) Well researched and presented and I learned a lot. The chapter on how viruses develop and result in pandemics was eerily relevant to today.