GUNS, GERMS & STEEL is an ambitious - if not audacious - work that explains why human civilizations have succeeded and failed throughout history. Diamond's primary assertion is that the development of human societies is predominantly determined by environmental and geographic factors. The book is an exploration of his thesis, and explanations of how these factors have shaped civilizations, from the initial spread of homo sapiens to the present day. It's a grand anthropological theory-of-everything that is quite fascinating, and very enlightening.

Diamond is a scientist at heart, and it's obvious from his writing. This book is not an easy read, as his style borders on the ponderous, if not pedantic. He is not content to merely make assertions and move on. Instead, he makes assertions and then provides numerous examples and copious amounts of data to back it up. This could become frustrating if it weren't for the fact that his examples are typically quite interesting in their own right.

This is a book that sticks in your head, forcing you to think, and challenging your understanding of civilization.