Oh, Jared Diamond, or Dimey, as his friends like to call him, you’ve done it again. No, not put out another masterpiece that combs human history to give us a better understanding of where we came from and how we got here, and how to use that while we look forward. I mean, you did that too, Dimey, but what I’m talking about is you put together another ginormous book chock-full of Dimies, aka Diamond Facts, that dilute the flow of you book and its overall narrative.
The points Diamond makes, as my father succinctly put it, are that “four factors are responsible for all historical developments: 1) availability of potential crops and domestic animals, 2) the orientation of continental axis to facilitate the spread of agriculture, 3) transfer of knowledge between continents, and 4) population size.” This way of looking at human development is absolutely unique and totally enlightening.
But when you bury a diamond in a sty of pig shit, it just ain’t gonna shine.
Book 34 of 189
Worn out Spines 