I never understood this, “Mexicans came from the Indians, Brazilians came from the jungle, but we came on boats” thing like it’s some kind of flex.
Asian-Americans kinda look down on new arrivals and call them FOBs (Fresh Off the Boat).
Right? Meanwhile, when we have family reunions with our relatives in Italy, they always ask some form of “How come you guys from South America all became so educated and professional? We who stayed in Italy are still farmers.” (Nothing wrong with having a farm, though; I spent my summers as a kid/teenager helping my aunts pick grapes/blueberries/raspberries)
There’s a lot of valid historiographical critique of Diamond’s methods and of the history itself for that, tbf. It’s got some good in it but also a lot of issues.
While not the most organized or scholarly source on the topic, reddit r/askhistorians has a whole FAQ section devoted to Guns Germs and Steel.
It’s not that it’s all wrong, it’s just that it often proves it’s points backwards. The points themselves have merit, but it’s far from really answering the question.
Sure, I’m aware of it. Although I haven’t dug extensively into it, my gut feeling is a lot of it is driven by the view that Diamond lets the oppressors of the West off the hook in some sense. That’s worth looking into for a full picture, but I’d still recommend the book.