Heartily recommend the book and the video, and especially both together

DVDs:


	• Guns, Germs, and Steel Braden Doane, Mason Graham National Geographic Video, 2005 average customer review:based on 45 reviews view larger image
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Heartily recommend the book and the video, and especially both together

Jared Diamond's book "Guns, Germs and Steel" has had a profound impact on our understanding of human society, how we got to where we are today and the underlining forces that shaped our history. In the true definition of genius, Diamond examines these very complex subjects and leaves the reader with a sense of it all being so simple, just common sense really.

The first time viewer should find the video interesting and stimulating. It provides a brief overview of the overall concept, and helps visualise the importance of the three main points, guns, germs and steel. The video also goes on to explore how these same forces affect more recent world events. However, in the shortness of time, there is not enough substance in the video to fully explain all the points that are covered.

The book and video complement each other nicely.

As one who has read the book, I found it entertaining to meet the author on video and see these rather dry and academic theories illustrated in graphics, explained on location in interviews, and acted out in theatre.

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Excellent production of an amazing book

This 2-DVD set contains three episodes based on Jared Diamond's book of the same name. Re-enactments add drama, interviews with experts explain details, and Diamond appears frequently to introduce or explain ideas.

A companion website at http://www.pbs.org/guns germs steel/ adds to the video's experience.

I really enjoyed the video series because it provides a visually compelling argument for why the world's power is so unbalanced. The book and the video series pair well, I think.

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Simply an Awesome Eye Opener

My eyes were open to things that I didnt even know influenced our civilization and culture. This DVD shows that much of the progress and stagnation in our world has been largely due to geographic forces displaying themselves in the form of guns, germs, and steel. This documentary is not law but a look at a very creative yet credible theory on the division between the modern day rich and poor and how they came to be.

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Unintended Consequences

As a child, I was taught that society was developed in the Fertile Crescent and migrated northwest where the success of European society was due to moderate temperature. Of course all this was God's will. (I went to Catholic school.) This eerily familiar story line is augmented by Dr. Jared Diamond in this compelling documentary in which he explains these phenomena in understandable and sometimes surprising ways. The importance of domesticated animals may be more obvious at first glance, but their involvement in disease and later decimation of the Native American population is an example of the unintended consequences that plague human history (no pun intended).

I use this film in Technology and Society classes where most students are introduced to these principles without the assumption that the "greatness" of European domination was inspired by Divinity. This is definitely worth the class time. Inspired discussions in any Humanities-oriented class from Nationalist arrogance to Global Warming make this a valuable addition to any teacher's collection. The fact that the "mosquito line" is rising in Africa (see Inconvenient Truth) and West Nile Virus is in Southern Californian have been subjects of discussion after viewing this film.

Don't worry if you don't have all the answers. I have found that inspiring students to ask the questions is the real goal of teaching. This film helps do that.

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Guns, Germs, and Steel

Why did some cultures expand faster than others? Why do some cultures have more power and wealth than others? These are the questions answered in Guns, Germs, and Steel. The cultures that developed agriculture had time to develop other technologies (Guns and Steel) and thus were able to conquer other cultures (hunting/foraging societies). A big contributing factor to these agrarian cultures was close proximity to animals and the diseases they carried. This provided the immunity to germs which other cultures lacked. The germs were by far more lethal than the guns and steel. Jared Diamond shows how these events all came about and the twist that happened in Africa. A very entertaining and insightful documentary.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book and national best seller Guns Germs and Steel is 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 the biggest question of world history. Why is the world so unequal? The answers he found were simple yet extraordinary. Our destiny depends on geography and access to: Guns Germs and Steel. Weaving together anthropology and science with epic historical reenactments Guns Germs and Steel brings Diamond's fascinating theories to life and moves beyond the book to bring his ideas into the present day.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 727994930082

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