Jared Diamond, author of the controversial book and PBS series Guns, Germs, and Steel talks about how geography and the environment have influenced the rise and fall of civilizations.
"Geography has effects. Some of them are hard to shake off, and others can be shaken off...those on top on history now aren't necessarily going to be on top for the rest of history...A big reason the populations of the Fertile Crescent fell behind is that they had the misfortune to live in a fragile environment which they messed up, unintentionally, by deforestation and salination and soil erosion. Those on top ended up down below. That's a lesson for today."
Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan
FULL STORY: Guns, Germs, Steel and Now, TV
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