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The Major Works of Jared Diamond. A Sustainable Agriculture Book Review By Cortney Barackman. Jared Diamond Works Reviewed. Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed Ants, Crops and History
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The Major Works of Jared Diamond A Sustainable Agriculture Book Review By Cortney Barackman
Jared DiamondWorks Reviewed • Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies • Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed • Ants, Crops and History • The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race
What is Guns, Germs and Steel all about? • An examination of human history for the past 13,000 years. • History of agriculture • Why has the history of Eurasians proved to be so different from the history of other peoples?
Why Eurasia??? • Diamond contends the answer is largely environmental. • 11,000 BC -people on all continents were equal • The ultimate differences which emerged… guns, germs and steel
Healthier diet More diversified diet Egalitarian social structure More food available Higher population density Hierarchical social structure More disease 11,000 BC- The Agricultural Revolution Hunter/Gatherers vs. Farmers
Edible wild ancestors High yields Ease of growing Quick growth/ harvest Easy storage Self-Pollinating Wild ancestors require little genetic change Late-Pleistocene Extinctions Anna Karenina Principle Diet Growth Rate Problems of Captive Breeding Nasty Disposition Tendency to Panic Social Structure Factors for DomesticationPlants & Animals
Continental Axes & Diffusion • Day-Length is crucial factor for plants • Day-Length is determined by latitude • Crop diffusion is easier/ quicker laterally • Eurasia is on east- west axis • Africa & Americas on north-south axis • Ergo: Rapid crop diffusion across Eurasia
Conclusions: Guns, Germs and Steel • The differences in the histories of the earth’s people are not due to innate differences in the people themselves, but differences in their environments.
What is Collapse all about? • Uses ecology, biology, archeology, linguistics to understand history • Looks towards the future and implications from past lessons • Examines the mainly ecological collapses of past civilizations to understand our current situation.
Five-Point Framework:Major Causes of Collapse • Environmental Damage • Climate Change • Hostile Neighbors • Friendly Trade Partners • Societal Response to Environmental Problems
Easter Island • DEFORESTATION!! - isolation - high latitude - low rainfall
Anasazi • Deforestation • Arroyo Cutting • Water Depletion • Climate Change • Internal Trade
Bitterroot Valley, Montana • Mining • Deforestation • Soil Depletion & Quality • Water Depletion & Quality
PROJECT CONCLUSIONS: • Guns, Germs and Steel & Collapse • Both of these books were fascinating and packed full of valuable information from the past and for the future. • MUST READ FOR ALL!!!