So, it wasn’t just happenstance that allowed the Europeans to conquer vast chunks of lands and myriad peoples. It’s wasn’t just the luck of the draw, fate, or the will of God.
It was the animals, geography and plants that set Europeans (and other civilizations at their time) on their course.
That’s the theory advanced by Jared Diamond in this marvelous reassessment of human history, a history used by some to ’’prove’’ the superiority of one race over another.
This is a fascinating book. For every argument as to why Europe was better-superior technology, desire to explore, etc.-there’s a counter argument. He is particularly compelling when he discusses geography.
Because by the 1400’s, Europe’s land was better suited for agriculture, people ate better, were able to cultivate larger tracts of land. This allowed for more time for such activities as writing, communication, artistry, and so on. The development of these activities encouraged the flow of information, --which feeds the development of technology--desire for exploration and thus, eventually, conquests of other people.
This is a well-written, insightful book, even if you find some of it a little hard to accept, especially if you’re of European descent, or secretly suspect that there’s a reason that one civilization seems superior to others. Diamond doesn’t limit himself to Europe vs. the Americas, though. He moves around the globe, examining several cultures and refuting many longheld beliefs.