General Comment:As mentioned earlier on my April 19 2007 post, I have embarked on writing a few words on all the books that I may read in my retirement. I will reread few books which I read over last few years – this to allow me to capture some good essence from the readings.
The recent book I have completed reading is a book by Jared Diamond titled Guns, Germs, and Steel . This book is a big book (some 471 pages long).
I borrowed the book from my son, Sunir, during my last visit to Toronto. Sunir completed reading this book and he is already on to the second (follow-up book by Jared Diamond).
It is very well written, easy to read and covers the human development since historic times spanning from some 13000 years of history on all continents.
He provides why there was differing development at various locations and continents and how food production ( based on domestication of wild plants and mammals) helped some human groups to get a head start on development and thus manage to engulf the remaining low developed societies over few thousands of years.
There is lot of information and inferences based on logical arguments
I am bit surprised that the historic development in the Indain sub-continent is considered secondary compared to Iraq area – Known as “Fertile Crescent” ( Mesopotamia) , China and Europe. India is not known for much archielogical finds as Indians never believed in posterity and there are no burial places or graves . Even writing came late in the Indian sub-continent.
It is a great read.
Pravin Shah