History Books

Great book, well written with exception to the beginning. The first two chapters were excruciating. The rest of the book was a great and gripping story. A real page turner.

Real life adventure at its thrilling best. This is a true tale of riveting adventure in which two weekend scuba divers risk everything to solve a great historical mystery and make history themselves.

This is a fantastic book. I have read it several times. I am a dive instructor and have given this book as gifts to students. Everyone has loved it. I have given it over 10 times. One of my favorite gifts to give to my divemaster students. I am buying it again today as a gift for an open water student who got some bonus questions correct. Mike Bannon

Even though most people seem to know the outcome. (I didn't) it was a great summer read. There is still some question as to how the sub got there but who cares? This book is not about the US Navy doing an archeology study, it's about a couple of guys who love to dive who get a hold of a story and go have a look. Then spend several years figuring out what it is that they are looking at. Plus people die in this tale, so obviously what they are doing gives them enough of an adrenaline rush to make it worth doing. For the rest of us, it's a page burner summer read.

And heck if you want, you can hire a boat and a dive master and go look yourself. I'll be running a submersible with a camera from the boat though.

This is a wonderfully written tale that not only brings you face to face with deep sea diving and exploration and the dangers that go with it but also the perils faced by WW2 submariners.

If you like a good adventure then give Shadow Divers a read, after a few pages you won't be able to put it down until you finally know who U-Who really is.

This is a really wonderful work. I believe it and experienced the ups and downs of every character. I know someone in the Special Forces and followed closely their selection experience. I learned much more from this book.

I paid particular attention to the officer selection process as this is one of the few places anything is mentioned about that selection process.
I look forward to seeing what Dick does next.

The book certainly had some interesting points, but overall, even for a military buff like me, could get quite boring. It seemed to drone on, almost like reading an actual military handbook. In all honesty I haven't even completed the entire book, I've come close to the end to what I assume is going to be an interesting part, but I just can't quite force myself to read it yet

Anyone who is remotely considering a career in SF needs to read this book. It really put it all in perspective

Great book a must read if your looking into a future in SF or just interested in what they go through.

This is an excellent, no b.s. account by Dick Couch, himself a SEAL and fmr CIA Operative who writes without any ego driven agenda. He has been given excellent access by the Army. This clearly isn't written from a warm, dry desk. He goes into the cold, heat, and rain to get it right. Starting before training, Couch follows (runs alongside) the Special Forces "training process", which is more accurately an art, not a science. With attention to ample personalities, Couch brings the reader close to the fire. You sense "the big picture", but Couch keeps you close to the guys who are sweating and bleeding to succeed. This isn't a book only for those with a military interest. In fact, it's probably a far more educational and IMPORTANT read for people who have absolutely no clue about Special Forces. These elite professionals are our Nations ambassadors in places many Americans can't even find on a map. Their objectives and how they fulfill their missions have potentially deep impact not merely on military affairs, but on US Foreign Policy itself.

I'm an amateur of classical Roman history. Nothing published, no letters after my name....just a passion for all things Roman. It makes a perfect excuse for an european vacation...and when you know the back ground of the sites you are visiting, the whole thing comes alive!

One thing I really learned in this text is that history, espically ancient history, is a mixture of reality and myth. You may learn some facts about events, but moreso, you see how these events were precieved by the participants based on their world view. This book has done that perfectly.

The writting is smooth and its an easy read. In it you find the drama and passion and glory of Roman thru Roman eyes and watch as the...Culture, not just the city or the army, grows into a world power.
Its everything you will find in any TV drama.. deception, hurbris, cunning, avrice...and a the glory that was once Rome!

Okay, nothing bad to say about Livy, it would be like calling the sky or sun bad, but my gripe is with penguin's mercenary tactics (modern library too for that matter 1300pgs of gibbon but feel the need to split up Plutarch?), come on give us a break and start bundling these endless volumes of 250-300pgs into more affordable sets, why not have Livy in 3 vols instead of 4 or rather for 30bux instead of 40? there is no excuse for splitting up 1-10 into "early history 1-5" and "Rome and Italy 6-10" especially with Cammilus spanning both volumes (why not split up the Hannibal book too more $$$$), not to mention the excessive use of footnotes in the second of these books (6-10). Unfortunately there is no cheaper recourse, undoubtedly their excuse is that two different translators were involved, , alas this rant is more at the state of modern reading habits than penguin, thank god for them, if more people desired to read these books instead of "having" to read them for school hence the gouging, there would be more diverse editions, otherwise i love it!:P

The book came in great condition and qucikly which is always a plus for school books.

first of all, amazon reviews are meant for anything, not just new releases.
the first five of livy's books are, it is generally accepted, his most innacurate. the other 130 or so books that he wrote were far more accurate. think about it: he covers about 700 years of history in 5 books, then another 100 or so in the other 130. the inaccuracy is, however, not entirely his fault. for much of it, there was simply no history kept, and he had to go with what was available.
while most historians wrote history to glorify their families, livy was not of noble birth, and therefore had no family to glorify, which did enable him to write a more acurate history of rome than some other historians. livy wrote to escape the world in which he was living.
im not saying that this book is bad, merely that it is not as accurate as his others. it is actually quite an interesting read. but dont expect every detail of the stories to all work out - you have to take it with a grain of salt.

Livy is not one of the better stylists out there. Plutarch, Suetonius, and even Ceasar stand out beside Livy, but none comes close to the breadth of description of the rise of perhaps the greatest civilisation known to mankind. One that serves as a source of awe, wonder and inspiration to much of mankind.

What Livy is describing is really how democracy and republics form. We have been raised on the romance of the Greek Polis and its percieved benefits, but the Romans in my estimation started elemental politics in a way that we know it today. They were the first to evolve largely from a Kingship to a republic in gradual largely non-violent internal changes. They stand in marked comparison to what are often call "less civilised" races and groups of peeople, precisely because they did not evolve institutions such as the Romans.

This process is described in intimate detail by Livy. The cut and thrust of political debate, the jockeying for position in the Senate, the addition, revision and abolishing of political institutions as a society evolves -- all are described in fairly sharp detail, but lacking the wit of Seutonius or the opinions of Plutarch.

All of the above takes place against the warring between the early Roman states and their neighbours (learn that the "Rape of the Sabine Women" was not really a "rape" in the traditional sense of the term -- it was far worse: the Romans lured the Sabines for a night of partying then surrounded them in the city walls, expelled all the men and took all their womenfold for themselves!!! This was a novel idea to end a paucity of brides inside early Rome).

Against all of the events of Livy one keeps thinking of the political machinations of the US or British Parliamentary goverments, one immediately recognises reoccuring themes. The necessity of putting down nearby barbarian tribes was a yearly exercise. The working (plebian) classes realised that they could withhold their consent to be drafted in exchange for political concessions. This lead to tough fights inside the senate with the plebians usually unbending to allow themselves to be sent to fight... until the absolute last minute. The patricians were also, when the danger passed usually likely to go back on their word to undertake some land reform.

Read and learn. The world changes, but it does not change. That is why we have classics. And this one is perhaps more of a classic with relevance for right here and now... especially if one is an American.

I am very pleased with all the products I purchased through Amazon.com. Amazon has consistently been reliable, efficient, and reasonably priced. I recommend Amazon.com for all your shopping needs.

I highly recommend this history series for kids of a wide age range. 5-13ish. The kids just don't get this kind of exposure to the world and its history in traditional Public Schools anymore. You will really want to get the book to go with this if really get into it. (to create a time line and see maps and so on...)
We Love this!

I have the Story of the World book and workbook, and I thought having it on CD might be nice for the car. I have very much enjoyed the smooth voice of Jim Weiss in several other story cds I have by him. So it made sense to try this one.
Sadly, Jim sounds rushed in this cd. I think that kids will just space out much of what he says, because there are so many facts packed in at such a fast pace. I wish he would have taken his time, and ambled through history at a leisurely pace rather than the slightly tense and frenzied reading that he has done here. I felt compelled to take rushed notes, and stop and replay - not appropriate for this age!

Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer is incredible. It is an entertaining, informative, spectacular way, to a journey through history.
My daughters ages 8 and 6 love to listen at home or in the car. I am drawn in to listening as well. Thanks!

After reading all the reviews about SOTW I was hesitant to buy it. We are a very conservative, Christian, homeschooling family and some of the reviews made me wonder if this would be the best choice for our family. I decided to get the book form of Mystery of History and the audiobook of SOTW to use as a supplement. I haven't opened our Mystery of History yet (though I will soon...) but we finished the whole set of CD's for volume one of SOTW and will start volume 2 tomorrow. We listen to it in the car as we travel. My 7 and 8-year olds beg to hear more history every time we get in the car. My 4 and 5-year olds get a lot out of it as well.

I think listening to someone else read the book makes it more fun for all of us. It helps bring the stories to life. We have all learned so much about ancient history and I'm so grateful. Sure, we've learned a lot of ancient myths and about many of the Greek gods and all, but that is all a part of the history of the various civilizations, and we don't have any trouble explaining to our children what is true and what is make-believe or just plain false.

I would highly recommend this set to any family that wants to increase their knowledge of ancient history.

Thank you it was exactly what I needed and wanted. Fast shipping too! Thanks!

The text is very clear and informative. I've only just started reading it but the format and the language used is great. It really puts the decision of becoming an educator in perspective. It's almost like a parent saying, "Are you sure this is what you want to do? Have you considered, this, that and the other?" I like it! It's exactly what I needed.

This is a very good, probably the best textbook available in the U.S. regarding the topic of history and philosophy of education, intended for undergraduate students. The authors did minor updateds to the previous edition. Since there has been little change as to history and philosophy of education in the last few years, you do not have to buy the last edition unless your instructor requires so.
The content is presented in 16 chapters, as follow:
1-2 Teaching profession, preparation of teachers
3-5 World roots of education, Pioneers, historical development of education in the U.S.
6-8 Governing-administering, finances and legal aspects of public education
9-11 Cultural and social aspects, race/social class, equal access to the educational system
12-14 Philosophycal aspects, the purpose of education,curriculum
15-16 Internation education, school effectiveness and reform in the U.S.

The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.). Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history. This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire. Thucydides as a master storyteller does not just cover the battle scenes; he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen. He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records. This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times. President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans. Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

I never before recommended reading an abridged work of history; however, Paul Woodruff does the best job of abridging Thucydides that I have ever come across in historical texts. He gives you the basic narrative and makes sure to include all of the important orations and debates from the original work.

As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I heartily recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history. I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides."

I can't think of another abridgment of a classic more after my own heart. I am a passionate believer in reading all of Thucydides, but this book is still the ideal way to get to know what is great about the historian. (And, as our democracy is at war & struggles with imperial entanglements, Thuc. is more relevant than ever.)

Basically, Woodruff has an unerring instinct for where Thucydides (not a mere fact-compiler, but one of antiquity's great thinkers) is at his sizzling & profound best. The introduction is a marvelous piece of criticism and analysis: in merely 24 pp. it acquaints the reader with Thucydides' important ideas. The idea of this book is to give you 185 pp. to read cover-to-cover (if not in a single sitting!--what are you waiting for?--do it, and blow your mind). Woodruff's connecting summaries & brief introductory comments to each excerpt make sure that readers will experience the whole coherently.

My one quibble is that I'd like to have the defeat of the Sicilian Expedition & its aftermath in all its gruesome detail, but this would have almost doubled the size of the book and defeated the purposes I've praised above. For a complete translation, try Lattimore (also pub. by Hackett)--or, if 17th c. English doesn't bother you, Hobbes' translation is a real treat to savor.

I agree with the first reviewer: this book is a great condensation of Thucydides' work. The book is editted to retain all of Thucydides' great insights into human nature, power, and politics, but summarized in a way where all of the essential details of the story are left in place.

With its sweeping description of events in various areas of the Greece, and its dramatic portrayal of historic figures: the book works as a great description of the nature of politics, democracy and war, and at the same time an engaging study of leadership, and the men who were perported to be great during these times.

Daniel Clausen
danielclausen.com

I have read this book myself at least twice. This book was purchased as a graduation present for a nephew. I wish someone had made me read this book at the age of 13. Franklin is quite the character. There are a lot of controversies surrounding his life, but for the purpose of instruction, I prefer to quit the debating society. This fellow is the first native born genius of record produced in this country. He may have painted a rosy picture of his life, but any of us would in an autobiography. If you want a critical examination of his life, check out some of the excellent athoritive biographies available. If you want inspiration, read this. Most inspiring are the roles that thrift and hard work played in his success and his practical approach to striving for "moral perfection".

This says Norton Critical Edition, so, of course, designed for academic study.

A man that of course did a whole pile of stuff and came up with a whole pile more.

Entertaining at times, and lecturing at others, as you might expect from someone that had been in a privileged position.

no doubt about it: ben franklin was a bright fellow. brigher than me, for instance. his autobiography, however, and despite what people on amazon are saying, is a shallow piece of fluff. nothing is touched in depth as he skims from one episode to the next like he is racing to finish an unimportant task. his wife? his family? forget them. all people in his life, in fact, seem deserving of no deep consideration to mr franklin. at times he brags about himself under the guise of modesty, and it is both silly and annoying. plenty of excellent biograhy work out there on this man, and one would be much better served to pick up one of those. it simply boggles my mind that anyone could consider this a 5 star piece of literature. there is not the slightest bit of passion in this writing. mr franklin doesn't even seem terribly interested in what he is writing about. amazon reveiwers seem to award 5 stars to almost anything they read, without the slightest trace of critical detachment. yes, this is a book you would not be wasting your time reading, simply because these are the words of benjamin franklin, but that's it. this is not great literature. not even close.

As everyone else has noted, Ben was a brilliant man and an entertaining writer. This is classic American literature, particularly in how it shows a "character" striving to rise up and better himself because that is the promise of the American Dream.

I docked Ben one star because the unfinished ending is not satisfying to someone who comes across this book for the first time. Just so you know, if you get lost during the third part, Ben is discussing the French Indian War.

The Dover edition is very nice and anyone should be satisfied with it.

In many ways, this is, to someone coming to it for the first time, a very surprising book. For one thing, it is amazingly incomplete. Franklin is, of course, one of the most famous Americans who ever lived, and his accomplishments in a wide array of endeavors are a part of American lore and popular history. A great deal of this lore and many of his accomplishments are missing from this account of his life. He never finished the autobiography, earlier in his life because he was too busy with what he terms public "employments," and later in life because the opium he was taking for kidney stones left him unable to concentrate sufficiently. Had Franklin been able to write about every period of his life and all of his achievements, his AUTOBIOGRAPHY would have been one of the most remarkable documents every produced. It is amazingly compelling in its incomplete state.
As a serious reader, I was delighted in the way that Franklin is obsessed with the reading habits of other people. Over and over in the course of his memoir, he remarks that such and such a person was fond of reading, or owned a large number of books, or was a poet or author. Clearly, it is one of the qualities he most admires in others, and one of the qualities in a person that makes him want to know a person. He finds other readers to be kindred souls.

If one is familiar with the Pragmatists, one finds many pragmatist tendencies in Franklin's thought. He is concerned less with ideals than with ideas that work and are functional. For instance, at one point he implies that while his own beliefs lean more towards the deistical, he sees formal religion as playing an important role in life and society, and he goes out of his way to never criticize the faith of another person. His pragmatism comes out also in list of the virtues, which is one of the more famous and striking parts of his book. As is well known, he compiled a list of 13 virtues, which he felt summed up all the virtues taught by all philosophers and religions. But they are practical, not abstract virtues. He states that he wanted to articulate virtues that possessed simple and not complex ideas. Why? The simpler the idea, the easier to apply. And in formulating his list of virtues, he is more concerned with the manner in which these virtues can be actualized in one's life. Franklin has utterly no interest in abstract morality.

One of Franklin's virtues is humility, and his humility comes out in the form of his book. His narrative is exceedingly informal, not merely in the first part, which was ostensibly addressed to his son, but in the later sections (the autobiography was composed upon four separate occasions). The informal nature of the book displays Franklin's intended humility, and for Franklin, seeming to be so is nearly as important as actually being so. For part of the function of the virtues in an individual is not merely to make that particular person virtuous, but to function as an example to others. This notion of his being an example to other people is one of the major themes in his book. His life, he believes, is an exemplary one. And he believes that by sharing the details of his own life, he can serves as a template for other lives.

One striking aspect of his book is what one could almost call Secular Puritanism. Although Franklin was hardly a prude, he was nonetheless very much a child of the Puritans. This is not displayed merely in his promotion of the virtues, but in his abstaining from excessiveness in eating, drinking, conversation, or whatever. Franklin is intensely concerned with self-governance.

I think anyone not having read this before will be surprised at how readable and enjoyable this is. I think also one can only regret that Franklin was not able to write about the entirety of his life. He was a remarkable man with a remarkable story to tell.

I was hooked on this book.I could not put it down.Im amazed at the amount of historical paper work that still survives to this day for this kind of biography.I felt like like I eas there.

I read this book as part of my interest in the Shakespeare authorship question. It was my first biography of Elizabeth, so I can't presume to compare to others. But I have read some other Tudor/Elizabethan history. I found Weir's book engaging, informative, relevant to my own interests, and colorful; and it seemed reasonably balanced. Take Me With You When You Go

I love reading books on the royal family,and this is a great book. Lots of history, very interesting, best book I've read in a long time. She was a great lady. Get ready for a LONG read!

Weir does a great job of giving the flavor of the times and the Virgin Queen. However, she gets bogged down in too much detail sometimes. There are hidden bits of humor that are fun to find, as well.

Overall I believe this is a good biography of the Queen, however, it isn't for those looking for a quick or simple read.

This magnificent book has me convinced that a woman can rule a complex country. My mind is changed and I think it's time for this country to elect a female president.

My perspectives of reviewing this book might be a little different... since I grew up in a Presbyterian church while going to an Episcopalian elementary school in Hong Kong. Then, when I moved to the states, I went to an Episcopal Church. However, that's not all... for the first 22 years of my life, I went to Chinese churches (the Presbyterian church in Hong Kong and a Chinese Episcopal Church in the states for 11 years each) before relocating to a Caucasian Episcopal church last year. While the churches are probably small in the author's view, I was mentally comparing and contrasting the 3 churches in my mind as I was reading.

Personally, I think this book is designed for clergies as well as young adult leaders. Because I got used to be treated as a young adult leader since 2004 through numerous young adult leaders events I went to (at local and national levels), I think this book does apply to me.

Anyway, I would say this book offers pretty good suggestions for non-ethnic churches. The only weaknesses are the following.

1. The solutions might not really work for these churches outreaching first generation young adults of minority descents with limited or no church background. I say that because they might have a language barrier with the rest of the members of these churches, which makes them sharing these problems more difficult than it already is. Can these churches do anything about it? The answer would be yes/no. Yes... if the community around the church is changing over time. No... if the church is only catering to a few individuals. This is not to say the church is dismissing these individuals. Rather, it's the fact that the church has no ability to cater to those needs at this time, especially if the individuals don't do their part in the process of getting helped.

2. For ethnic churches (at least the Chinese ones I know)... while it's easier to cater those who can only speak a language that's not the dominant language in the church (like Mandarin or English for a mostly Cantonese speaking church), the language barrier could be a hard factor to ignore, too. While those churches would have an easier time making adjustments, in terms of adding certain services, the clergy would be forced more than ever to be stuck in the "prison" the author talked about. After all, not only he/she has to prepare one sermon, but several for one Sunday, if the clergy needed to do all the sermons by him/herself.

Having said that... the rest of what he said was pretty much right on the button, whether it's inside an ethnic church or not. In fact, I had the same feeling on quite a bit of things he mentioned throughout the book. So, overall, I would give it an 9 out of 10.

If there's one thing I could suggest Mr. Kimball to do, it would be spend some time visiting some ethnic churches. That would make his work even more well-rounded.

I do not like the title of this book but overall I like the book. I do not believe most non-Christians like Jesus. They like their perceptions of him, but their thoughts of him are not well-rounded. Most people I have talked to see him as a great teacher and example, a person of love and a person who sacrificed greatly for others. These things are true but are only part of the story. The people Kimball references are no different than any other people, they like Jesus as long as he doesn't offend them. But in time Jesus will offend a person, because he breaks down our pride and self-reliance through his actions and words. In John chapter 6 this very dynamic plays out. Jesus is very popular with the people in the beginning of the chapter but by the end many people turn away from following him. So many people in our culture may think they like Jesus, but when they hear a fuller presentation of who he is, they turn away. This may be the case with some of the people Kimball is referencing. Since they don't want to come right out and say they don't like Jesus, they blame the church when confronted with the cost of discipleship. There's no doubt the church can be abusive, narrow, and stuck in tradition. But people outside the church are not just a bunch of well-meaning people who have been confused by the church. They are rebels against God, whether they know it or acknowledge it. All Christians were once in the same place, rebels to the core.

Kimball does a good job of highlighting the way Christians are often misperceived by the culture as well as the way Christians often stand in judgment over the culture. His approach of relationships and love is good and should be an important focus of the efforts of believers to live their faith and share it with others.

We are using this book for our Young Marrieds & Singles class on Sunday mornings and it has been a good fit so far. There are a lot of things in it that are obviously going to make people uncomfortable but I think that they are things that all need to be said and understood if we are going to be able to reach today's generation.

Dan Kimball says he needs to edit The Bible by tearing out pages.

Revelation 22:18-19
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

A life changing book with a real honest (and solution based) look at the church. I highly recommend this book. May it give all who read it insight into this mission field we call the United States.

One thing I admire about Jared Diamond is his ability (like Carl Sagan) to take complex issues and scientific concepts then molding them into comprehensive bites that the average reader can swallow. The Third Chimpanzee a book that Diamond had published in 1992 has come back into print because of the success of Collapse and Germs, Guns & Steel which is terrific since it tackles a very different series of subjects from the ability of animals to communicate with each other, natural selection and why homosapiens managed to come out on the top of the heap, how/why we find certain people attractive and select our mates to whether or not aliens are listening for our radio signals (and why we might be in big trouble because we gave them our address IF they were listening).

All of this falls under the general theme of the book which focuses on the nature and future of humanity. Diamond has a breezy, enjoyable style that most readers will find inviting and that makes the more complex scientific ideas that much easier to swallow (whether it be how scientist calculate how often we go through evolutionary change or which theory about why men have bigger...you know what than our nearest relatives).

Diamond's book is over 15 years old so things have changed a bit since he first wrote it although interestingly the very things that he suggested could happen do appear to be coming true in many cases so he's added a post script discussing some of these new ideas, etc. that weren't available when the book was written.

As with Diamond's other books he is very upfront about his thoughtful opinions on the subject he focuses on. Whether or not you enjoy the book will probably depend on whether or not you like to have your preconceptions challenged, you agree with him or both.

I thought this book made many interesting and intellectual connections between human nature and the evolution of primates. The author does an excellent job of substantiating his hypthesis with scientific and established facts. His predictions for the future of humans are logically explained.

That being said, some topics are over explained and repetitious.

Overall I think this book is very much worth reading.

I took away the following:

1. Humans are descended from animals. Diamond shows that the things we think distinguish humans from animals - art, language, lifecyle (long child rearing period, menopause, long lives) - have strong roots in our biological history. There is a TON of fascinating detail covering a wide range of topics, and is essentially an articulate reinforcement of the latest science showing the truth behind Darwin's theories.

2. Language is the key to rise of humanity. It's obvious, though, that humans are somehow unique, and the book postulates that language is the key. If humans are 98% the same genetically as chimpanzees, what small thing could make the huge evolutionary difference? The voice box and ability to form languages allow humans to cooperate, form more complex social organizations, and advance knowledge from one generation to the next. Language is the foundation of innovation, which has been essential to our rise. As someone who enjoys languages and can speak a few, I really liked this idea.

3. All humans are equal. Differences among humans in Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia, the Artic, and so on are not based on genetic selection but rather sexual selection. I've read Stanford research that tracks maternal genes through the millenia and shows that humans spread from Africa to all corners of the world. Diamond postulates that the reason people look different is perhaps due to genetic adaptations to local environments (fairer skin in colder climates, etc), but more likely due to random changes reinforced by our predilection for choosing mates who look most like our own families. My favorite detail: people are more likely to choose mates with similar index finger length (0.6 correlation coefficient) than economic background (only 0.2).

4. Random distribution of geographic resources makes some cultures and societies more successful. From #3, Diamond goes on to say that the reason European culture has come to be pre-eminent in today's world is not because of genetic superiority. Rather, it is simply due to the fact that Europe (and its culture progenitors Greece and Rome) happened to be lucky enough to have the best natural resources. If you've played Risk, Civilization or World of Warcraft, this is pretty obvious. You want to found your cities or capture the areas where there are the most resources that allow you to build the biggest and most advanced armies (Diamond expanded this theory in his more famous book Germs, Guns and Steel, which I haven't read yet). But, I don't know. Though this theory is interesting and powerful, it sparked the biggest reaction in me. I found it somehow...Marxist, stating that all human history can be reduced to economic drivers. While I know resource advantages are helpful to some degree, my humanist side rejects this as the primary driver of history. Where is the role of the individual, of the struggle to grow and learn? Could it really be that Western culture produced Plato, Newton and Churchill simply because it happened to have plentiful deer, while other places didn't? Do I go to work everyday, invest time into my children and bust my tail without a single ounce of impact on the fate of my culture? Of course not, so though Diamond postulates this as a strong theory it gives only a partial explanation of history.

5. The end is near: beware of nuclear weapons and environmental catastrophy. In this area Diamond seemed to leave the field of science and enter that of personal political view. Most of the book felt deeply analytical and data driven, the last sections felt light on science in comparison. That said, I don't disagree with the point. It's just hard to accept when his argument for protecting endangered species is "you never know which one matters."

Overall, an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

The only way to describe this book is 'excellent.' Starting with our evolutionary origins, Jared Diamond examines possible reasons for many uniquely human (or so you'd think) behaviors and oddities, ranging from art to relative penis size (after reading this book you will be able to say that you're better hung than a gorilla). Next, Diamond turns his focus to some of the nastier behaviors of human societies - genocide, racism, etc - and explores what recent findings mean to us as a species. Finally, in the last few chapters, Diamond goes on a conservation crusade, convincingly arguing the case for working toward a sustainable future. Read it - it will change the way you think of yourself and others in relation to the world.

Hey, my review is going to be broken down in to four sections, the introduction, the information that you can retain from this book, the interest level of this book, and the age group I recommend this to. This book (The Third Chimpanzee) talks about how us humans are what we are today and what came in the process of it. This is an interesting topic to speak about because it is a surprise to know what we came from and how our great ancestors chose the "right" mates for them, which eventually created us in the end.
I will be talking about a few of the subjects Jared Diamond covers in his book, the evolution of human sexuality is a very important subject, you will learn about how your ancestors chose their mates and what made them do it. You will learn about male jealousy over a female and the evolution of extra-marital sex. The chapter on how we pick our mates and sex partners will make you want to read even more, Diamond talks about the scientific studies about this subject and how we subconsciously become turned on by different characteristics in a male or female without even realizing it, as example the temperature of their hands or as funny as it sounds the way they give you a hug may allow you to make a subconscious decision for mating. The information you retain from this book is amazing, if you are looking to find as much information as possible about human evolution, this book is for you. Now, how interesting this book is to me, I do not know, even though this books hold a lifetime worth of information, there is also a lot of ranting and raving, so many people might become very bored with this type of writing. This book is just a very hard read, to get into it you MUST give it your full attention or else you wont really learn anything about. I found part three to be one of the most interesting subjects because it spoke about the origins of art and how some societies elaborated on it and how some did not. The reason this book is a crucial read is because Jared Diamond does not just question the reader he also provides them with answers that have been long awaited. I recommend this book to a 16+ age group, not necessarily because younger children could not understand the book, but it is long and tiresome and certain points, so they may lose interest. This book is excellent for any information seekers, that are looking for theories and scientific studies to back a book or essay they are writing about, yet I would not really recommend this to someone who just wants to read for fun. Jared Diamond also covers an interesting topic which might spark an interest in high school readers which talks about why people smoke, drink and use dangerous drugs. This book is full of fun and interesting information so you kids who are in high school or you students who are in college, I recommend you read this for it will benefit you in the future.