About book Why The West Rules—for Now: The Patterns Of History, And What They Reveal About The Future (2010)
A fascinating look with due consideration on what "might have been." While this may not be definitive, it certainy does get the conversation going. I think this is a necessary corrective to determinists like Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs, and Steel" which places all the emphasis on geography. If you couple Morris with 1491 and 1493, a picture of the world emerges that is a lot less Eurocentric than Diamond's. For one thing, China did rule and had a huge influence that we don't seem to appreciate. Part of the problem is that we measure our "success" in terms of conquest and dominion when there appear to be other factors that need consideration. If you've been awed by Diamond's book, then the triple threat of Why the West Rules, 1491, and most importantly 1493 will help you see with a lot lest western tinted eyes. Wonderful book. Well argued. Backed up with evidence. Best overview of history of China I have read in a pop-history book. In school and in most overviews, I get the Fertile Crescent->Greece->Rome->Franks->Norman Invasion->England->Pilgrims->America track with China being mentioned because of the Silk Trade with Rome, Marco Polo and then the Opium Wars.This gives a nice overview of the rise and expansion of various proto-states in China, then Empires, Dynasties and the ebb and flow of history there. I am sure a China specific book would be more detailed but this overview is the best I have read up until now.I also liked the references to writers like Heinlein, Asimov, Tom Friedman and others that I have read. They were both appropriate and familiar.I would recommend this book to anyone interested in History, Economy, Archaeology or the broad sweep of civilizations.
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Amazingly written, very informative without being derivative or overtly jargon filled
—suez
Fantastic follow-up to Guns germs and steel.
—brianna2
