The Author of "Collaps" gives a thrilling lesson in history and evolution of humans, with very logical reasoning. He starts to explain our close genetical relationship (98%!) to Chimpanzees and Gorillas, whereas our common anchestors are still to be found. Going back way in time, the change in a few hunderd thousand years of world, climate and human history is explained - which other branches of Homo existed, and why they disappeared - and what made the Homo Sapiens the most successful species of todays world. Diamond sheds light one of our most distinguishing feature, the speech, as well our "need" for drugs and sexual habits.
Further on, the starting points and further development of agriculture and domestication are explained. The book explains why it evolved only in certain areas, and what kind of diseases came with it, that would, beside some other factors like horses and writing skills, further change the balance of power between tribes in our recent history, therefore enabling the Europeans to conquer America, Africa, Australia in the last few centuries.
Diamond does not spare a some sentences on the great risks man runs into, be it by the ability to "end it all" with a few button clicks or the slow process of polution and exploitation of our natural environment.
A Stunning book!