Guns, germs, and steel: the fates of human societies

Yali's question: The regionally differing courses of history

From Eden to Cajamarca. Up to the starting line: What happened on all the continents before 11,000 B.C.?

A natural experiment of history: How geography molded societies on Polynesian islands

Collision at Cajamarca: Why the Inca emperor Atahuallpa did not capture King Charles I of Spain

The rise and spread of food production. Farmer power: The roots of guns, germs, and steel

History's haves and have-nots: Geographic differences in the onset of food production

To farm or not to farm: Causes of the spread of food production

How to make an almond: The unconscious development of ancient crops

Apples or Indians: Why did peoples of some regions fail to domesticate plants?

Zebras, unhappy marriages, and the Anna Karenina principle: Why were most big wild mammal species never domesticated?

Spacious skies and tilted axes: Why did food production spread at different rates on different continents?

From food to guns, germs, and steel. Lethal gift of livestock: The evolution of germs

Blueprints and borrowed letters: The evolution of writing

Necessity's mother: The evolution of technology

From egalitarianism to kleptocracy: The evolution of government and religion

Around the world in six chapters. Yali's people: The histories of Australia and New Guinea

How China became Chinese: The history of East Asia

Speedboat to Polynesia: The history of Austronesian expansion

Hemispheres colliding: The histories of Eurasia and the Americas compared

How Africa became black: The history of Africa

Who are the Japanese?: the history of Japan

The future of human history as a science

2017 afterword: Rich and poor countries in light of Guns, germs, and steel.

Prologue. Yali's question : The regionally differing courses of history

Part One. From Eden to Cajamarca

Chapter 1. Up to the starting line : What happened on all the continents before 11,000 B.C.?

Chapter 2. A natural experiment of history : How geography molded societies on Polynesian islands

Chapter 3. Collision at Cajamarca : Why the Inca emperor Atahuallpa did not capture King Charles I of Spain

Part Two. The rise and spread of food production

Chapter 4. Farmer power : The roots of guns, germs, and steel

Chapter 5. History's haves and have-nots : Geographic differences in the onset of food production

Chapter 6. To farm or not to farm : Causes of the spread of food production

Chapter 7. How to make an almond : The unconscious development of ancient crops

Chapter 8. Apples or Indians : Why did peoples of some regions fail to domesticate plants?

Chapter 9. Zebras, unhappy marriages, and the Anna Karenina principle : Why were most big wild mammal species never domesticated?

Chapter 10. Spacious skies and tilted axes : Why did food production spread at different rates on different continents?

Part Three. From food to guns, germs, and steel

Chapter 11. Lethal gift of livestock : The evolution of germs

Chapter 12. Blueprints and borrowed letters : The evolution of writing

Chapter 13. Necessity's mother : The evolution of technology

Chapter 14. From egalitarianism to kleptocracy : The evolution of government and religion

Part Four. Around the world in five chapters

Chapter 15. Yali's people : The histories of Australia and New Guinea

Chapter 16. How China became Chinese : The history of East Asia

Chapter 17. Speedboat to Polynesia : The history of Austronesian expansion

Chapter 18. Hemispheres colliding : The histories of Eurasia and the Americas compared

Chapter 19. How Africa became black : The history of Africa

Epilogue. The future of human history as a science.

Yali's question: The regionally differing courses of history

From Eden to Cajamarca. Up to the starting line: What happened on all the continents before 11,000 B.C.?

A natural experiment of history: How geography molded societies on Polynesian islands

Collision at Cajamarca: Why the Inca emperor Atahuallpa did not capture King Charles I of Spain

The rise and spread of food production. Farmer power: The roots of guns, germs, and steel

History's haves and have-nots: Geographic differences in the onset of food production

To farm or not to farm: Causes of the spread of food production

How to make an almond: The unconscious development of ancient crops

Apples or indians: Why did peoples of some regions fail to domesticate plants?

Zebras, unhappy marriages, and the Anna Karenina principle: Why were most big wild mammal species never domesticated?

Spacious skies and tilted axes: Why did food production spread at different rates on different continents?

From food to guns, germs, and steel. Lethal gift of livestock: The evolution of germs

Blueprints and borrowed letters: The evolution of writing

Necessity's mother: The evolution of technology

From egalitarianism to kleptocracy: The evolution of government and religion

Around the world in five chapters. Yali's people: The histories of Australia and New Guinea

How China became Chinese: The history of East Asia

Speedboat to Polynesia: The history of Austronesian expansion

Hemispheres colliding: The histories of Eurasia and the Americas compared

How Africa became black: The history of Africa

The future of human history as a science

Who are the Japanese? 2003 afterword: Guns, germs, and steel today.