A suitable starting point from which to compare historical developments on the different continents is around 11,000 B.C.
An edition of Guns, germs, and steel
(1997)
Guns, germs, and steel
the fates of human societies
by Jared M. Diamond
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October 10, 2025 | History
An epic detective story that offers a gripping expose on why the world is so unequal. Professor Jared Diamond traveled the globe for over 30 years trying to answer this question.
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Subjects
prize:pulitzer=1998, Ethnology, Criticism and interpretation, Culture diffusion, Effect of environment on, Civilization, Human beings, Social evolution, History, Sociale evolutie, Cultuur, Évolution sociale, Geografia (historia), Geologia historica, Civilisation, Influence de l'environnement, Influence sur la nature, Histoire, Diffusion culturelle, Historia, Effets de l'environnement, Ethnologie, Homme, Long Now Manual for Civilization, Biological Evolution, Verden, Social anthropology, Entwicklung, Geschichte, Etnologia (evolução;civilização;cultura), Civilização (história), Gesellschaft, Ciências humanas, Zivilisation, Menschheit, World, Cultural Evolution, Historie, Soziale Evolution, 15.50 general world history; history of great parts of the world, peoples, civilizations: general, Natuurlijke hulpbronnen, Wereldgeschiedenis, Methods, Medical Sociology, Culturele verschillen, Social Environment, Human beings, effect of environment on, Civilization, history, Human geography, Economische ontwikkeling, Effet de l'environnement, Diffusion de la culture, Världshistoria, Internationell konkurrens, Ekonomisk geografi, Livsmedel, Växter, Husdjur, Arkeologi, World history, Economic geography, Economic history, Food production, Agriculture, Socioeconomic organization, Antropologi, Civilization--history, Human beings--effect of environment on, Sociology, medical--methods, Hm206 .d48 1997, Hm 206 d537g 1999, 303.4, Social behavior, Hm206 .d48 2005, Hm206 .d48 1999People
Jared M. Diamond| Edition | Availability |
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Armas, gérmenes y acero: Breve historia de la humanidad en los últimos trece mil años
May 26, 2020, Debolsillo, DEBOLSILLO
mass market paperback
8466355251 9788466355254
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Armas, gérmenes y acero: Breve historia de la humanidad en los últimos trece mil años
May 26, 2020, Debolsillo, DEBOLSILLO
mass market paperback
8466355251 9788466355254
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03
Guns, Germs and Steel : (Patterns of the Planet)
2019, Penguin Random House
in English
1784873632 9781784873639
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04
Armas, gérmenes y acero: Breve historia de la humanidad en los últimos trece mil años
Jan 16, 2018, DEBATE, Debate
hardcover
8499928714 9788499928715
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Armas, gérmenes y acero: Breve historia de la humanidad en los últimos trece mil años
Jan 16, 2018, DEBATE, Debate
hardcover
8499928714 9788499928715
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07
Armas, gérmenes y acero: Breve historia de la humanidad en los últimos trece mil años
Jan 16, 2018, DEBATE, Debate
hardcover
8499928714 9788499928715
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08
Armas, gérmenes y acero: Breve historia de la humanidad en los últimos trece mil años
Jan 16, 2018, DEBATE, Debate
hardcover
8499928714 9788499928715
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09
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
2017, W. W. Norton & Company
paperback
in English
0393354326 9780393354324
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10
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
2017, Norton & Company, Incorporated, W. W.
in English
0393609294 9780393609295
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11
Sociedades comparadas: Un pequeño libro sobre grandes temas
Jan 14, 2016, DEBATE, Debate
hardcover
8499925588 9788499925585
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Sociedades comparadas: Un pequeño libro sobre grandes temas
Jan 14, 2016, DEBATE, Debate
hardcover
8499925588 9788499925585
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13
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14
Armas, Germenes y Acero / Guns, Germs, and Steel: the Fates of Human Societies
2016, Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial
in Spanish
607313925X 9786073139250
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15
Sociedades comparadas: Un pequeño libro sobre grandes temas
Jan 14, 2016, DEBATE, Debate
hardcover
8499925588 9788499925585
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Guns, Germs and Steel: A Short History of Everybody for the Lst 13,000 Years
2013, Penguin Random House
in English
1448180201 9781448180202
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19
Ruzhʹ︠i︡a, mikroby i stalʹ: sudʹby chelovecheskikh obshchestv
2012, Astrelʹ, Corpus
in Russian
5271451941 9785271451942
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Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Jun 07, 2011, Random House Audio
audio cd
0307932427 9780307932426
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23
Guns, Germs,and Steel: 2010 Revised Edition
Sep 23, 2010, munhaksasangsa
paperback
8970127240 9788970127248
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24
De l'Inegalite Parmi les Societes
2007-09-01, Gallimard Education
in French
2070347508 9782070347506
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25
Háborúk, járványok, technikák: a társadalmak fátumai
2006, Typotex
in Hungarian
- 2., javított utánny.
9639548928 9789639548923
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26
Vete, vapen & virus: en kort sammanfattning av mänsklighetens historia under de senaste 13 000 åren
2006, Norstedt
in Swedish
- [Ny utg.].
911301630X 9789113016306
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27
Armas, germenes y acero/ Guns, Germs and Steel
April 30, 2006, Debate Editorial
Hardcover
in Spanish
848306667X 9788483066676
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28
Armi, acciaio e malattie: Breve storia del mondo negli ultimi tredicimila anni
2006, Einaudi
Paperback
in Italian
8806183540 9788806183547
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Guns, germs, and steel
2005, National Geographic, Distributed by Warner Home Video
videorecording /
in English
0792292553 9780792292555
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Guns, germs, and steel: the fates of human societies
2005, Norton
in English
0393061310 9780393061314
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Armas, Germes e Aço: Os Destinos das Sociedades Humanas
Jan 01, 2005, Record
paperback
in Portuguese
8501056006 9788501056009
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Armas germenes y acero
June 30, 2004, Debate Editorial
Paperback
in Spanish
8483065797 9788483065792
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Guns, germs, and steel: the fates of human societies
2003, W.W. Norton
in English
0393317552 9780393317558
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Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Jul 11, 2001, HighBridge Audio
1565115147 9781565115149
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39
De l'inégalité parmi les sociétés
November 22, 2000, Gallimard
Paperback
in French
2070753514 9782070753512
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40
Arm und Reich. Die Schicksale menschlicher Gesellschaften.
December 1, 2000, Fischer (Tb.), Frankfurt
Paperback
in German
3596149673 9783596149674
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Guns, Germs, and Steel
September 18, 2000, Books on Tape
Audio Cassette
in English
- Unabridged edition
0736656669 9780736656665
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Guns, germs, and steel: the fates of human societies
1999, W.W. Norton & Co.
in English
0393317552 9780393317558
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Guns, germs, and steel: the fates of human societies
1999, Norton
in English
0393317552 9780393317558
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Guns, germs, and steel
1999, W. W. Norton & Company, W.W. Norton
in English
0393317552 9780393317558
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Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
1999, Norton & Company, Incorporated, W. W.
in English
0393069222 9780393069228
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Arm und reich: die Schicksale menschlicher Gesellschaften
1999, Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verl.
in German
3596145392 9783596145393
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48
Guns, Germs & Steel
July 13, 1999, Books On Tape
Audio Cassette
in English
- UNABRIDGED edition
0736646299 9780736646291
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49
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
August 1998, Audio Scholar
Audio Cassette
in English
- Abridged edition
1879557541 9781879557543
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50
Guns, Germs, and Steel: A Short History of Everybody For the Last 13,000 Years
1998, Random House
Paperback
0099302780 9780099302780
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51
Armas, gérmenes y acero: la sociedad humana y sus destinos
1998, Debate
in Spanish
- 1a ed.
8483061201 9788483061206
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52
Chʻong, kyun, soe: Mugi, byŏnkyun, kŭmsok i ŏttŏkke munmyŏng ŭi pulpʻyŏngdung ŭl nahatnunga
1998, Munhak Sasangsa
in Korean
- Chʻopʻan
8970122907 9788970122908
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53
Guns, Germs & Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
July 1998, W W Norton & Co Inc (Np)
0393973867 9780393973860
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Guns, germs, and steel: the fates of human societies
1997, W.W. Norton & Co.
Hardcover
in English
- 1st ed.
0393038912 9780393038910
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Guns, germs and steel: the fates of human societies
1997, Jonathan Cape
in English
0224038095 9780224038096
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Guns, germs, and steel
1997, W. W. Norton & Company, W.W. Norton & Co.
in English
0393038912 9780393038910
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Armas, gérmenes y acero
Publish date unknown, Debolsillo
Paperback
in Spanish
8483463261 9788483463260
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58
Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies
Publish date unknown, Shanghai Translation Publishing House Pub. Date :2
7532739236 9787532739233
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Book Details
Table of Contents
Preface to the Paperback Edition.
PROLOGUE. YALI’S QUESTION
The regionally differing courses of history
PART ONE. FROM EDEN TO CAJAMARCA
CHAPTER 1. UP TO THE STARTING LINE
What happened on all the continents before 11,000 B.C.?
CHAPTER 2. A NATURAL EXPERIMENT OF HISTORY
How geography molded societies on Polynesian islands
CHAPTER 3. COLLISION AT CAJAMARCA
Why the Inca emperor Atahuallpa did not capture King Charles I of Spain
PART TWO. THE RISE AND SPREAD OF FOOD PRODUCTION
CHAPTER 4. FARMER POWER
The roots of guns, germs, and steel
CHAPTER 5. HISTORY’S HAVES AND HAVE-NOTS
Geographic differences in the onset of food production
CHAPTER 6. TO FARM OR NOT TO FARM
Causes of the spread of food production
CHAPTER 7. HOW TO MAKE AN ALMOND
The unconscious development of ancient crops
CHAPTER 8. APPLES OR INDIANS
Why did peoples of some regions fail to domesticate plants?
CHAPTER 9. ZEBRAS, UNHAPPY MARRIAGES, AND THEANNA KARENINA PRINCIPLE
Why were most big wild mammal species never domesticated?
CHAPTER 10. SPACIOUS SKIES AND TILTED AXES
Why did food production spread at different rates on different continents?
PART THREE. FROM FOOD TO GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL
CHAPTER 11. LETHAL GIFT OF LIVESTOCK
The evolution of germs
CHAPTER 12. BLUEPRINTS AND BORROWED LETTERS
The evolution of writing
CHAPTER 13. NECESSITY’S MOTHER
The evolution of technology
CHAPTER 14. FROM EGALITARIANISM TO KLEPTOCRACY
The evolution of government and religion
PART FOUR. AROUND THE WORLD IN FIVE CHAPTERS
CHAPTER 15. YALI’S PEOPLE
The histories of Australia and New Guinea
CHAPTER 16. HOW CHINA BECAME CHINESE
The history of East Asia
CHAPTER 17. SPEEDBOAT TO POLYNESIA
The history of the Austronesian expansion
CHAPTER 18. HEMISPHERES COLLIDING
The histories of Eurasia and the Americas compared
CHAPTER 19. HOW AFRICA BECAME BLACK
The history of Africa
EPILOGUE. THE FUTURE OF HUMAN HISTORY AS A SCIENCE
2003 Afterword. Guns, Germs, and Steel Today
Acknowledgments.
Further Readings.
Credits.
INDEX.
Edition Notes
"With a new afterword about the modern world"--Cover.
Includes "Reading group guide"--p. [495-496].
Includes bibliographical references (p. 442-471) and index.
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| October 10, 2025 | Edited by data_enjoyer | Edited without comment. |
| October 10, 2025 | Edited by data_enjoyer | corrected publishing information for this ISBN |
| June 12, 2025 | Edited by Tom Morris | merge authors |
| August 6, 2024 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
| October 25, 2009 | Created by WorkBot | add works page |