Jared Diamond and Guns, Germs, and Steel

The book Guns, Germs, and Steel was written in 1997. The book tries to explain why civilizations in Europe survived and conquered others. The book argues against the idea of Eurasian leadership is due to any form of Eurasian intelligence, morals, or genetics. The title of the book comes from how weapons were a symbol of power (guns), Eurasian diseases weakened and killed many local civilizations with no immunity, making it easier to maintain control (germs), and how government promoted nationalism and powerful military organizations (steel). In 1998, the book won the Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction. The book also received the Aventis Prize for Best Science Book.

Jared Diamond was born on September 10, 1937. Jared has a passion for birds. He has been to New Guinea and near-by islands to study the evolution and ecology of birds. Diamond was born in Massachusetts. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College in 1958. He was originally trained in physiology but has several other different fields. Diamond believes that the different level of power and technology is because of environmental differences, guided by positive feedback loops. Currently, Jared Diamond is a professor at UCLA. He won the national Medal of Science in 1999.