How do historians regard Jared Diamond's "Blood, Germs and Steel"? How do his arguments stand today, and how influential, if at all, have they been on the profession?

by Lord_Echidna

I recently finished re-reading Guns, Germs and Steel and still find the arguments compelling and logical throughout most of this book. However, I am aware that my knowledge goes little further than majoring in history in undergrad and was curious how he has been regarded. I've heard some rumblings in the comments in this sub about the fallacies of geographic determinism but never seen a cohesive breakdown of why he's wrong or how wrong he is. Having loved historiography during my undergrad, I am very interested in learning how this book is viewed among professional historians and others who study the past.

DanKensington

If anyone's willing to offer their own views on Diamond, they're more than welcome to post up. The sub firmly believes that no answer is ever 'final', so if you've been itching to write up a good answer, don't let this post stop you!

In the meantime, OP, I commend to your attention the appropriate section of the FAQ.