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Jared Diamond Quotes

The broadest pattern of history - namely, the differences between human societies on different continents - seems to me to be attributable to differences among continental environments, and not to biological differences among peoples themselves Picture Quote #1

The southward advance of native African farmers with Central African crops halted in Natal, beyond which Central African crops couldn't grow - with enormous consequences for the recent history of South Africa Picture Quote #1

Twenty years ago, you might have been pessimistic and said there's no hope. But these days, some of our very biggest companies are acting remarkably cleanly. And in some cases, although not all cases, the CEOs are the driving forces behind that Picture Quote #1

We study the injustices of history for the same reason that we study genocide, and for the same reason that psychologists study the minds of murderers and rapists. To understand how those evil things came about Picture Quote #1

Recent discoveries about apes suggest, however, that a gorilla or common chimp stands at least as good a chance being murdered as the average human Picture Quote #1

Thus, Fertile Crescent and Eastern Mediterranean societies had the misfortune to arise in an ecologically fragile environment. They committed ecological suicide by destroying their own resource base Picture Quote #1

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The history of interactions among disparate peoples is what shaped the modern world through conquest, epidemics and genocide. Those collisions created reverberations that have still not died down after many centuries, and that are actively continuing in some of the world’s most troubled areas Picture Quote #1

One way to explain the complexity and unpredictability of historical systems, despite their ultimate determinacy, is to note that long chains of causation may separate final effects from ultimate causes lying outside the domain of that field of science Picture Quote #1

The single most important problem is our misguided focus on identifying the single most important problem! Picture Quote #1

Forced to choose between limiting population or trying to increase food production, we chose the latter and ended up with starvation, warfare, and tyranny Picture Quote #1

The adoption of agriculture, supposedly our most decisive step toward a better life, was in many ways a catastrophe from which we have never recovered Picture Quote #1

Throughout history, adultery has had few rivals as a cause of murder and human misery. The reason we tend to resemble our mates is that many of us are looking for someone who reminds us of our parent or sibling of the opposite sex, who in turn resembles us Picture Quote #1

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Our biggest threat is not an asteroid about to crash into us, something we can do nothing about. Instead, all the major threats facing us today are problems entirely of our own making. And since we made the problems, we can also solve the problems Picture Quote #1

Ahead of me lies the familiar litany: weakening of the heart, hardening of the arteries, increasing brittleness of bones, decreases in kidney filtration rates, lower resistance of the immune system, and loss of memory. The list could be extended almost indefinitely. Evolution seems indeed to have arranged things so that all our systems deteriorate, and that we invest in repair only as much as we are worth Picture Quote #1

All recognized famous inventors had capable predecessors and successors and made their improvements at a time when society was capable of using their product Picture Quote #1

In the latter case it is often government that organizes the conquest, and religion that justifies it Picture Quote #1

Much of human history has consisted of unequal conflicts between the haves and the have nots Picture Quote #1

Some people have much more pull than other people. But when I say that the public has ultimate responsibility, I'm not saying it in a moral sense. I'm just saying it in the sense of what is it that's really going to bring change Picture Quote #1

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Eurasia ended up with the most domesticated animal species in part because it's the world's largest land mass and offered the most wild species to begin with Picture Quote #1

Although native Africans domesticated some plants in the Sahel and in Ethiopia and in tropical West Africa, they acquired valuable domestic animals only later, from the north Picture Quote #1

All human societies go through fads in which they temporarily either adopt practices of little use or else abandon practices of considerable use Picture Quote #1

AIDS and malaria and TB are national security issues. A worldwide program to get a start on dealing with these issues would cost about $25 billion... It's, what, a few months in Iraq Picture Quote #1

We're uncomfortable about considering history as a science. It's classified as a social science, which is considered not quite scientific Picture Quote #1

Tasmanian history is a study of human isolation unprecedented except in science fiction - namely, complete isolation from other humans for 10,000 years Picture Quote #1

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No government is here forever. And there are other forces - the most potent force in our society, in fact, big business - doing good for the environment Picture Quote #1

I've worked very hard in this book to keep the lines of communication open. I don't want to turn someone away from this information for partisan political reasons Picture Quote #1

Thousands of years ago, humans domesticated every possible large wild mammal species fulfilling all those criteria and worth domesticating, with the result that there have been no valuable additions of domestic animals in recent times, despite the efforts of modern science Picture Quote #1

The main thing that gives me hope is the media. We have radio, tV, magazines, and books, so we have the possibility of learning from societies that are remote from us, like Somalia. We turn on the TV and see what blew up in Iraq or we see conditions in Afghanistan Picture Quote #1

I've always been interested in a lot of things, and a lot of things at the same time, and I always tried to explain them to myself. I ask a lot of questions Picture Quote #1

Measles and TB evolved from diseases of our cattle, influenza from a disease of pigs, and smallpox possibly from a disease of camels. The Americas had very few native domesticated animal species from which humans could acquire such diseases Picture Quote #1

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Friendship Quotes

Motivational Quotes

Inspirational Quotes

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Text Quotes

The broadest pattern of history - namely, the differences between human societies on different continents - seems to me to be attributable to differences among continental environments, and not to biological differences among peoples themselves (Jared Diamond Quotes) The southward advance of native African farmers with Central African crops halted in Natal, beyond which Central African crops couldn't grow - with enormous consequences for the recent history of South Africa (Jared Diamond Quotes) Twenty years ago, you might have been pessimistic and said there's no hope. But these days, some of our very biggest companies are acting remarkably cleanly. And in some cases, although not all cases, the CEOs are the driving forces behind that (Jared Diamond Quotes) We study the injustices of history for the same reason that we study genocide, and for the same reason that psychologists study the minds of murderers and rapists. To understand how those evil things came about (Jared Diamond Quotes) Recent discoveries about apes suggest, however, that a gorilla or common chimp stands at least as good a chance being murdered as the average human (Jared Diamond Quotes) Thus, Fertile Crescent and Eastern Mediterranean societies had the misfortune to arise in an ecologically fragile environment. They committed ecological suicide by destroying their own resource base (Jared Diamond Quotes) The history of interactions among disparate peoples is what shaped the modern world through conquest, epidemics and genocide. Those collisions created reverberations that have still not died down after many centuries, and that are actively continuing in some of the world’s most troubled areas (Jared Diamond Quotes) One way to explain the complexity and unpredictability of historical systems, despite their ultimate determinacy, is to note that long chains of causation may separate final effects from ultimate causes lying outside the domain of that field of science (Jared Diamond Quotes) The single most important problem is our misguided focus on identifying the single most important problem! (Jared Diamond Quotes) Forced to choose between limiting population or trying to increase food production, we chose the latter and ended up with starvation, warfare, and tyranny (Jared Diamond Quotes) The adoption of agriculture, supposedly our most decisive step toward a better life, was in many ways a catastrophe from which we have never recovered (Jared Diamond Quotes) Throughout history, adultery has had few rivals as a cause of murder and human misery. The reason we tend to resemble our mates is that many of us are looking for someone who reminds us of our parent or sibling of the opposite sex, who in turn resembles us (Jared Diamond Quotes) Our biggest threat is not an asteroid about to crash into us, something we can do nothing about. Instead, all the major threats facing us today are problems entirely of our own making. And since we made the problems, we can also solve the problems (Jared Diamond Quotes) Ahead of me lies the familiar litany: weakening of the heart, hardening of the arteries, increasing brittleness of bones, decreases in kidney filtration rates, lower resistance of the immune system, and loss of memory. The list could be extended almost indefinitely. Evolution seems indeed to have arranged things so that all our systems deteriorate, and that we invest in repair only as much as we are worth (Jared Diamond Quotes) All recognized famous inventors had capable predecessors and successors and made their improvements at a time when society was capable of using their product (Jared Diamond Quotes) In the latter case it is often government that organizes the conquest, and religion that justifies it (Jared Diamond Quotes) Much of human history has consisted of unequal conflicts between the haves and the have nots (Jared Diamond Quotes) Some people have much more pull than other people. But when I say that the public has ultimate responsibility, I'm not saying it in a moral sense. I'm just saying it in the sense of what is it that's really going to bring change (Jared Diamond Quotes) Eurasia ended up with the most domesticated animal species in part because it's the world's largest land mass and offered the most wild species to begin with (Jared Diamond Quotes) Although native Africans domesticated some plants in the Sahel and in Ethiopia and in tropical West Africa, they acquired valuable domestic animals only later, from the north (Jared Diamond Quotes) All human societies go through fads in which they temporarily either adopt practices of little use or else abandon practices of considerable use (Jared Diamond Quotes) AIDS and malaria and TB are national security issues. A worldwide program to get a start on dealing with these issues would cost about $25 billion... It's, what, a few months in Iraq (Jared Diamond Quotes) We're uncomfortable about considering history as a science. It's classified as a social science, which is considered not quite scientific (Jared Diamond Quotes) Tasmanian history is a study of human isolation unprecedented except in science fiction - namely, complete isolation from other humans for 10,000 years (Jared Diamond Quotes) No government is here forever. And there are other forces - the most potent force in our society, in fact, big business - doing good for the environment (Jared Diamond Quotes) I've worked very hard in this book to keep the lines of communication open. I don't want to turn someone away from this information for partisan political reasons (Jared Diamond Quotes) Thousands of years ago, humans domesticated every possible large wild mammal species fulfilling all those criteria and worth domesticating, with the result that there have been no valuable additions of domestic animals in recent times, despite the efforts of modern science (Jared Diamond Quotes) The main thing that gives me hope is the media. We have radio, tV, magazines, and books, so we have the possibility of learning from societies that are remote from us, like Somalia. We turn on the TV and see what blew up in Iraq or we see conditions in Afghanistan (Jared Diamond Quotes) I've always been interested in a lot of things, and a lot of things at the same time, and I always tried to explain them to myself. I ask a lot of questions (Jared Diamond Quotes) Measles and TB evolved from diseases of our cattle, influenza from a disease of pigs, and smallpox possibly from a disease of camels. The Americas had very few native domesticated animal species from which humans could acquire such diseases (Jared Diamond Quotes)

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