diamond has written a book of remarkable scope one of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent yearswinner of the pulitzer prize and a national bestseller the global account of the rise of civilization that is also a stunning refutation of ideas of human development based on racein this artful informative and delightful william h mcneill new york review of books book jared diamond convincingly argues that geographical and environmental factors shaped the modern world societies that had a head start in food production advanced beyond the huntergatherer stage and then developed writing technology government and organized religionas well as nasty germs and potent weapons of warand adventured on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures a major advance in our understanding of human societies guns germs and steel chronicles the way that the modern world came to be and stunningly dismantles racially based theories of human historywinner of the pulitzer prize the phi beta kappa award in science the rhonepoulenc prize and the commonwealth club of californias gold medal