So we talked about the history of business and trade. Which came first, money or markets, money or interest?
If you’re interested in human history in a broader context, more questions may pop up: Why have we stopped living as hunter-gatherers? Why and when did states evolve? Why did the Mayan and Greenland Viking Empires collapse but not Spain or China? Why did Europeans conquer native America and not the other way round? Why are most African countries notoriously poor while Europe and North America seem to be predestined for wealth? Is it because Africans are less bright than we are?
Jared Diamond, an American biologist and historian, has probed into these questions and gives surprising answers based on his broad knowledge of both natural sciences and society. His most famous books include: *
- Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
- Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
- The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?
His books have also been translated into German, but if you want to improve your English, I’d recommend the original versions.
* I don’t want to imply that you should use Amazon. Search for these titles anywhere else, and you may find better offers.
