Book Summary: The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant
The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant is a sweeping examination of history, human nature, and the patterns that we […]
Tag: history
Book Summary: Economics: The User’s Guide by Ha-Joon Chang
I’m prefacing this summary of Economics: The User’s Guide with a disclaimer: There’s a lot that I haven’t summarised, because the book […]
Book Summary: Why We Fight by Chris Blattman
What motivates people to go to war? In this summary of Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to […]
Sapiens vs Guns, Germs and Steel
Many people compare Sapiens to Guns Germs and Steel. In my opinion, GGS overall is a better book than Sapiens. But both are worth reading.
Book Summary: Sapiens – A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
A very detailed summary of the book Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari. Around 70,000 years ago, homo sapiens developed superior cognitive functions and wiped out other human species. Harari then describes our species’ changes throughout the Agricultural Revolution (around 12,000 years ago) and Scientific Revolution (500 years ago). He finishes by looking into the future, which may soon see the end of Sapiens as we know it.
Criticisms of Guns, Germs and Steel
There are many criticisms of Guns, Germs and Steel. This summary outlines, in hopefully a fair and balanced way, the key criticisms and responses to it.
Book Summary: Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
In Guns, Germs and Steel, Diamond sets out to answer a question posed by one of his New Guinean friends: why did human development proceed at such different rates on different continents? This is a detailed summary of the 20th anniversary edition of the book published in 2017.
Book Summary: Destined for War by Graham Allison
Destined for War is about the dynamic that arises when a rising power (China) threatens the existing ruling power (America). Allison looks back at examples of similar past dynamics starting with Athens and Sparta, and suggests ways in which we can learn from history and hopefully avoid war.
Book Summary: Political Tribes by Amy Chua
The main thrust of Political Tribes is that group identities based on things like ethnicity, religion and skin color are very important but the US has often failed to recognise this in its foreign policy.