Guns, Germs and Steel cover art

Guns, Germs and Steel

The Fate of Human Societies

Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/month + applicable taxes after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

Guns, Germs and Steel

Written by: Jared Diamond
Narrated by: Doug Ordunio
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month + applicable taxes after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $29.14

Buy Now for $29.14

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Pulitzer Prize, General Nonfiction, 1998

Guns, Germs and Steel examines the rise of civilization and the issues its development has raised throughout history.

Having done field work in New Guinea for more than 30 years, Jared Diamond presents the geographical and ecological factors that have shaped the modern world. From the viewpoint of an evolutionary biologist, he highlights the broadest movements both literal and conceptual on every continent since the Ice Age, and examines societal advances such as writing, religion, government, and technology. Diamond also dissects racial theories of global history, and the resulting work—Guns, Germs and Steel—is a major contribution to our understanding the evolution of human societies.

©1997 Jared Diamond (P)2011 Random House
Anthropology Biological Sciences Science Social Sciences World Africa Ancient History Thought-Provoking Imperialism Business Latin America Imperial Japan Social justice China

What listeners say about Guns, Germs and Steel

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    411
  • 4 Stars
    161
  • 3 Stars
    66
  • 2 Stars
    19
  • 1 Stars
    7
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    315
  • 4 Stars
    127
  • 3 Stars
    55
  • 2 Stars
    20
  • 1 Stars
    7
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    325
  • 4 Stars
    120
  • 3 Stars
    53
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    8

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

This book did not live up to its reputation.

It was recommended by a number of friends and I thought that my love of history would make it a perfect match. If I had been reading it instead of listening, I would never have finished it. Boring is too subtle a word to describe this book. At least the narrator tried to make it more interesting, kudos for him for not yawning.(probably were cut out!)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A truly deep understanding of the world.

A truly in depth understanding of the world what it is today. How we got to where we are today. This is my Bible to understanding Humanity and our planet.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Starts and ends well, tedious middle.

Obviously an important book and topics that are given careful, if at times tedious treatment. If you just read/listen to first and last chapters, you get a pretty good synthesis. The narration is fine and clear, but all the extensive details become a bit boring, and the narrator is unable to make these details particularly interesting to the typical listener.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Best book on why Racism in nonsense

want a review of what we know of the history of humanity with scientific rigor? Curious why black people ended up slaves instead of caucasians and not vice versus or why Europeans conquered North America and not vice versus?

This book goes through 11,000+ years of human history to prove that climate, geography, and availability of plants and animals dictated who ended up with superior guns, germs, and steel.

Would recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

a worthwhile read/listen tho a bit dated now

loved it but have a few qualms: Palestine, cavemen & no mention of Goblike Tepe

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great at what it does but read critiques as well

It is a good book written with good narrative and great narration. This book is heavily criticized in academic circles and while I think the book is still worth reading, one should understand that it is too simplistic and too narrowly focused on this specific element of history to be taken entirely at face value.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Discover previously unknown truths about humanity

With a detailed and surgical approach, Diamond debunks notions of inherent racial/cultural superiority. Give yourself the gift of this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Relearning history

It's like learning history, but with actually thinking this time around. The game of civilization has evening to do with the resourcess.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

interesting but dry/academic-like

Definitely lecture like... but the content is interesting. feltblike i should have been taking notes!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

Overall, great. If you're interested in a history of humans, this is your book. It was a little dry at some points but overall, I'm very happy I chose to listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!