Jared Diamond
Why did some societies conquer others, and was it just a matter of geographical luck? Jared Diamond argues that environmental blessings determined the distribution of global wealth and power.
The availability of domesticable plants and animals allowed certain regions to transition from hunting and gathering to stable agriculture.
A surplus food supply supported larger populations and specialized classes of inventors, bureaucrats, and soldiers.
Living closely with livestock caused Eurasians to develop immunities to infectious diseases that later devastated vulnerable indigenous populations during colonization.