hope like mad

“Why you white man have so much cargo?”

November 20, 2008

At the same time I picked up the copy of Ishmael from the library, I picked up the National Geographic documentary called Guns, Germs, and Steel based on the book by the same name.  It has been a book I’ve been wanting to read for awhile but have not found the time to spend on the 512 pages of text.

In this three part documentary you get the cliff notes version (from what I hear) of an already broad (but extremely helpful) look at why it is that Europeans eventually came to dominate the world.  Jared Diamond, the author of this book and the focus of the documentary found himself in need of answering this question when a question was put to him forcefully by a man from New Guinea.

Yali: Why you white man have so much cargo and we New Guineans have so little?

Jared Diamond: Yali’s question really threw me. It seemed so simple and obvious, and I thought it must have a simple and obvious answer, but when he asked me, I had no idea what that answer was.

The documentary explores this compelling question.

Part 1 - Out of Eden:  I found this section interesting having watched it while reading Ishmael.  Both explored the development of civilization out of the fertile crescent.  His conclusion to why the European dominance was geography.  Where you live determined your ability to grow as culture.

Part 2 - Conquest:  This section focus on how Europeans kept their dominance.  The short answer became the title of the book, Guns, Germs and Steel.

Part 3 - Into the Tropics:Examines…

…the development and colonization of Africa by South Africans and Europeans, and explains why geography is still a factor in forming the divide between those with money and resources and those without.

Overall I found this very intriguing on many different levels and I’m leaning towards investing the time into reading the book.  Has anyone else read it?  What did you think?