I felt that Jared Diamond's book had some flaws. One premise of his book (I'm not talking about collapse of civilization, which I haven't read, but rather guns, germs and steel) is that Whites got a headstart in terms of technology because of their location. That is, they could absorb technology from the Middle East, which was where the first civilizations were created. Okay, this just begs the question, why aren't middle easterners the ones in power today, since they were the ones who actually created civilization, and hence got a headstart in terms of technology--yes, even before Europeans. The Middle East had the same germs that Europe did, and they were the ones who probably gave Europe the plague. I know it came from Asia. Furthermore, why did they not go on a navigational adventure like did Europeans? So I think the answer doesn't lie in simple concepts like guns, germs and steel. It lies in European history and what they went through. And I am talking about 1. The renaissance, which resulted in Europe's renewed interest in Classical Literature and humanism. 2. Lutheran revolution. This of course resulted in separation of church and state 3. French revolution. Aka democracy and all its perks 4. Enlightenment The best book I would say is "From dawn to decadence". It is an 800-page tome. Pretty thick book. The answer is in the history books. Sure, guns, germs and steel did play a part, but I think the real answer is that Europe transcended all other cultures due to what they went through. Was it really a headstart in technology that made Europe(and America) the powerhouse it is today, or was it actually the environment that was more conducive to intellectual development. The answer is the latter, I believe. Now one wonders why some people started questioning the powers-that-be in Europe, but this phenomenon did not occur anywhere else? Perhaps the fundamental reason really is that technology allowed them to well..loiter around and think. Then again, one wonders why this did not occur in the Middle East. Circular logic. If I am correct, the book doesn't really explain why the Middle East is not as developed as Europe. But let's not talk about Clash of Civilizations. That is a racist book, my friend.