I know this book was discussed here long before I became a member, and reading that archived forum is pretty enjoyable. I started reading this after seeing it on many of my friends' bookshelves. I thought it sounded pretty interesting, so I picked up a copy. As soon as I did, a number of people have noticed me reading it and told me what a good book they thought it was. And they're right.

I'm about halfway through it, and it has really changed the way I think about historical events. It's so easy to think about Western Civilization in terms of progress and ingenuity, but Jared Diamond makes an excellent case for why geography plays a huge factor.

If you're interested in his work in general, you can check out a quick Ted talk by Jared Diamond.

This book is on my to read list. I picked up a really nice copy at goodwill. The goodwill near my house is awesome. I get a lot of great books there. =)