Sunday, July 03
The Biggest Idiot in the History of the Human Race
I was never that impressed with Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel, because it seemed to me that Diamond had come up with the conclusion first, and then carefully sifted through the facts to select those that supported it. It's perfectly reasonable to create the hypothesis first, but what you then have to do is search for facts which don't support it. Karl Popper and that whole falsification thingy.
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I was never that impressed with Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel, because it seemed to me that Diamond had come up with the conclusion first, and then carefully sifted through the facts to select those that supported it. It's perfectly reasonable to create the hypothesis first, but what you then have to do is search for facts which don't support it. Karl Popper and that whole falsification thingy.
What I hadn't realised before now was that Jared Diamond is a complete loony. Andrea Harris has the goods.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at
04:31 AM
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1
One of the message boards I frequent has recently been invaded by a poster who thinks agriculture was a mistake and wants to revert to hunter-gathering (although this ideology doesn't appear to involve giving up his computer).
I wonder if this may become a new lefty trend, now that all their other ideas have failed?
Posted by: Evil Pundit at Sunday, July 03 2005 06:48 AM (gNnpG)
2
that sounds like something Mascimo Livi-Bacci would espouse.
Posted by: kyer at Monday, July 04 2005 12:52 AM (oY0vI)
3
I'm a voracious reader. Put a book in my wings, and it WILL get finished. It takes a certain something to make me put a book down in disdain. Mr. Diamond's 'Guns Germs and Steel' had just that something.
I've tried three different times to read it, and all three times it made me wonder what others were seeing in it that I wasn't. Then I realized 'it doesn't matter!' and picked up a new Harry Turtledove book.
What I'm trying to say is "Bah, feh."
Posted by: Wonderduck at Monday, July 04 2005 01:13 AM (G2sf8)
4
I'm in the middle of Guns/Germs/Steel. It's well-written (I suspect Diamond would be a good prof), but I agree that he already had the route planned. Guess I'm back to rereading the neverending Wheel of Time series--got to catch up before book number whatever comes out.
Posted by: Ian at Monday, July 04 2005 06:15 PM (pEXyx)
5
It takes a certain something to make me put a book down in disdain. Mr. Diamond's 'Guns Germs and Steel' had just that something.
I'm stealing that line next time I get nagged to read it.
They say only women can truly nag but oh, the stories I could tell . . . .
Posted by: ilyka at Thursday, July 07 2005 06:44 AM (hhWS2)
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