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Guns, Germs and Steel

The Fate of Human Societies

Jared Diamond

Written by
Jared Diamond
Read by
Doug Ordunio
Length
16 hrs 20 min
Rating
4.4 / 5
Publisher
Random House Audio
Released
2011-01-18

Shelved under

What it is

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Guns, Germs and Steel examines the rise of civilization and the issues its development has raised throughout history. Having done field work in New Guinea for more than 30 years, Jared Diamond presents the geographical and ecological factors that have shaped the modern world. From the viewpoint of an evolutionary biologist, he highlights the broadest movements both literal and conceptual on every continent since the Ice Age, and examines societal advances such as writing, religion, government, and technology. Diamond also dissects racial theories of global history, and the resulting work—Guns, Germs and Steel—is a major contribution to our understanding the evolution of human societies.

On the charts

Charting now — best position 19 on Bestsellers in Science & Engineering, reached September 11, 2026. Seen on 2 charts over 20 days of readings, the first on September 8, 2026.

ChartBestDaysLast seen
Science & Engineering
Bestsellers 19 3 days October 5, 2026
History
Libby 24 16 days October 24, 2026

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