GUN, GERMS, AND STEEL
REVIEW GUIDE
1. Diamond argues that wealth and power are distributed unevenly because what developed at different times? (Prologue)
2. Some people feel that explaining why one group dominates another does what? (Prologue)
3. Which area was prominent in the development of weapons? (Prologue)
4. What was the source of power in New Guinea when food production arose?
5. Why do pockets of the three language families other than Sino-Tibetan exist in China?
6. How does Diamond feel about the traditional theories of human development?
7. What is a factor that influenced a group to adopt agriculture?
8. The arrival of founder crops enabled local populations to become what?
9. Some people have argued that those living in warm, humid climates were inhibited in their development by what?
10. Almonds were found in which person's tomb?
11. How did farmers end up with plants that fulfilled their needs?
12. When did independent food production begin?
13. Why were domesticated plants able to spread from the Fertile Crescent to nearby areas more easily?
14. What argument about the mass extinction of large mammals does Diamond argue against?
15. The Giant Leap Forward was?
16. Some people feel that explaining why one group dominates another does what?
17. Some people argue that examining domination leads to what type of focus?
18. Studies have failed to show differences in what among people on different continents?
19. Germs from what produced epidemics in Native American and Australian societies?
20. What was one of the biggest population shifts of all time?
21. Which Spanish conquistador first encountered the Incas?
22. What weapon was used by the Incas?
23. When did independent food production begin?
24. In the early stages of food production, people did what?
25. Groups tended to turn to food production after what happened?
26. How did farmers end up with plants that fulfilled their needs?
27. Wild almonds are what?
28. Which of these areas have a climate similar to the Fertile Crescent?
29. Plants like olives, figs and dates were domesticated around what time?
30. Where did technology grow the fastest according to Diamond?
31. How do inventions spread?
32. Once something is invented, what must happen?
33. What was the source of power in New Guinea when food production arose?
34. The Miao-Yao family of language is spoken where?
35. Diamond looks at what type of conflict in China?
36. What are the smallest societies known as?
37. China has how many "big" languages?
38. Who had an advantage over many of the African societies?
39. What foods did people in the Americas depend on?
40. What gave Europeans an advantage in information about the groups they encountered?
41. The Americas have what type of axis?
42. About what time did food production begin in the United States? (from Chapter 5 "History's Haves and Have-Nots")
43. Where does Diamond believe that more research needs to be done? (from Epilogue "The Future of Human History as a Science)
44. All people were once what? (from Chapter 6 "To Farm or Not to Farm")
45. What animal was domesticated in southwest Asia? (from Chapter 5 "History's Haves and Have-Nots")
46. Groups who remained hunter-gatherers into the twentieth century lived in what types of areas? (from Chapter 6 "To Farm or Not to Farm")
47. What was needed for a society to become involved in food production? (from Chapter 8 "Apples or Indians")
48. What is not a cause in the uneven distribution of wealth and power, according to Diamond? (from Epilogue "The Future of Human History as a Science")
49. There has been some discussion of how Diamond's work might apply where? (from 2003 Afterward "Guns, Germs and Steel Today")
50. Food production meant what to hunting and gathering societies? (from Chapter 6 "To Farm or Not to Farm")
51. What is a benefit that institutionalized religion provides? (from Chapter 14 "From Egalitarian to Kleptocracy")
52. The large domesticated mammals were all domesticated before what date? (from Chapter 9 "Zebras, Unhappy Marriages, and Anna Karenina")
53. Hunter-gatherers in southeastern Europe adopted crops and agriculture from where? (from Chapter 6 "To Farm or Not to Farm
54. What did not help the spread of the Austronesian culture? (from Chapter 17 "Speedboat to Polynesia")
55. The arrival of founder crops enabled local populations to become what? (from Chapter 5 "History's Haves and Have-Nots")
56. Who invented things like firearms and steel equipment? (from Chapter 13 "Necessity's Mother"
57. Which societies were the most advantaged in Polynesia? (from Chapter 17 "Speedboat to Polynesia")
58. What is the first stage in the transition of diseases to humans? (from Chapter 11 "Lethal Gift of Livestock")
59. How many large mammals in Africa were suited to domestication? (from Chapter 19 "How Africa Became Black")
60. What is an discussion that has arisen since Diamond's work was first published? (from 2003 Afterward "Guns, Germs and Steel Today")
2. Some people feel that explaining why one group dominates another does what? (Prologue)
3. Which area was prominent in the development of weapons? (Prologue)
4. What was the source of power in New Guinea when food production arose?
5. Why do pockets of the three language families other than Sino-Tibetan exist in China?
6. How does Diamond feel about the traditional theories of human development?
7. What is a factor that influenced a group to adopt agriculture?
8. The arrival of founder crops enabled local populations to become what?
9. Some people have argued that those living in warm, humid climates were inhibited in their development by what?
10. Almonds were found in which person's tomb?
11. How did farmers end up with plants that fulfilled their needs?
12. When did independent food production begin?
13. Why were domesticated plants able to spread from the Fertile Crescent to nearby areas more easily?
14. What argument about the mass extinction of large mammals does Diamond argue against?
15. The Giant Leap Forward was?
16. Some people feel that explaining why one group dominates another does what?
17. Some people argue that examining domination leads to what type of focus?
18. Studies have failed to show differences in what among people on different continents?
19. Germs from what produced epidemics in Native American and Australian societies?
20. What was one of the biggest population shifts of all time?
21. Which Spanish conquistador first encountered the Incas?
22. What weapon was used by the Incas?
23. When did independent food production begin?
24. In the early stages of food production, people did what?
25. Groups tended to turn to food production after what happened?
26. How did farmers end up with plants that fulfilled their needs?
27. Wild almonds are what?
28. Which of these areas have a climate similar to the Fertile Crescent?
29. Plants like olives, figs and dates were domesticated around what time?
30. Where did technology grow the fastest according to Diamond?
31. How do inventions spread?
32. Once something is invented, what must happen?
33. What was the source of power in New Guinea when food production arose?
34. The Miao-Yao family of language is spoken where?
35. Diamond looks at what type of conflict in China?
36. What are the smallest societies known as?
37. China has how many "big" languages?
38. Who had an advantage over many of the African societies?
39. What foods did people in the Americas depend on?
40. What gave Europeans an advantage in information about the groups they encountered?
41. The Americas have what type of axis?
42. About what time did food production begin in the United States? (from Chapter 5 "History's Haves and Have-Nots")
43. Where does Diamond believe that more research needs to be done? (from Epilogue "The Future of Human History as a Science)
44. All people were once what? (from Chapter 6 "To Farm or Not to Farm")
45. What animal was domesticated in southwest Asia? (from Chapter 5 "History's Haves and Have-Nots")
46. Groups who remained hunter-gatherers into the twentieth century lived in what types of areas? (from Chapter 6 "To Farm or Not to Farm")
47. What was needed for a society to become involved in food production? (from Chapter 8 "Apples or Indians")
48. What is not a cause in the uneven distribution of wealth and power, according to Diamond? (from Epilogue "The Future of Human History as a Science")
49. There has been some discussion of how Diamond's work might apply where? (from 2003 Afterward "Guns, Germs and Steel Today")
50. Food production meant what to hunting and gathering societies? (from Chapter 6 "To Farm or Not to Farm")
51. What is a benefit that institutionalized religion provides? (from Chapter 14 "From Egalitarian to Kleptocracy")
52. The large domesticated mammals were all domesticated before what date? (from Chapter 9 "Zebras, Unhappy Marriages, and Anna Karenina")
53. Hunter-gatherers in southeastern Europe adopted crops and agriculture from where? (from Chapter 6 "To Farm or Not to Farm
54. What did not help the spread of the Austronesian culture? (from Chapter 17 "Speedboat to Polynesia")
55. The arrival of founder crops enabled local populations to become what? (from Chapter 5 "History's Haves and Have-Nots")
56. Who invented things like firearms and steel equipment? (from Chapter 13 "Necessity's Mother"
57. Which societies were the most advantaged in Polynesia? (from Chapter 17 "Speedboat to Polynesia")
58. What is the first stage in the transition of diseases to humans? (from Chapter 11 "Lethal Gift of Livestock")
59. How many large mammals in Africa were suited to domestication? (from Chapter 19 "How Africa Became Black")
60. What is an discussion that has arisen since Diamond's work was first published? (from 2003 Afterward "Guns, Germs and Steel Today")
