Guns, Germs and Steel (What it meant to me.)

             The Significance of —— 

                        Guns, Germs and Steel

                                    By Jared Diamond 

                There is an old saying to designate a prominent point in a given situation. It goes something like, “Where the rubber hit the road”. Mr. Diamond might refer to it as one of those “Proximate” moments of action. With this book which dates back to the mid nineties science has been connected with history in the like manner that “rubber hits the road.”

            To follow human progress from the beginning point being the Fertile Crescent area of Eurasia and to explain the paths selected based on the guiding details found in simple geography, plant domestication selection, animal domestication selection and climatology and then to support the findings by backing it all up with archeology and linguistics has to be superior science.

            To provide explanation of the levels of human culture systems which advanced, retarded or held dormant the movement of humans around our earth is science that leads toward the ultimate questions of – (What now?)- (What way is a better or the best means of human organization to serve us in moving forward?).

            Considering that humans have existed either alone, as bands, tribes, chieftains and states with the lower orders ever disappearing  then the question becomes more focused and we might consider asking is there yet another system waiting down the path for us?

            Mr. Diamond did not mention it but his science compels me to once again go to my question room which no one I know wants to visit with me and dust off the old plaque which has the words – { What is our purpose?}.

            As I have been trying to explain here Mr. Diamond has scientifically proved and explained how we have moved about and expanded into what we are today but even here with superb science our ultimate purpose has been only to survive but so far it has served us well.

            I will not belabor the point any further for now but it does seem to me that if we have a purpose beyond serving ourselves then we could do it better if we knew what it was. As it is when we turn inward and explore such a question then we pass it off as one of those – to serve God kinds of things. Well, if it is to serve God in a manner of being custodians of His Earth then we need to shape up.

            This book however will be one that serves me for the rest of my life and maybe beyond. Already it has increased the meaning of all the more normal history books I have read so it certainly will do that and more as I continue. 

Hubert Abner

Spring 2011