Guns germs and steel questions
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
Prologue
1. What was Yali’s question?
2. What did Yali mean by “cargo”?
3. Summarize Yali’s question. This requires mentioning race, intelligence, and development of technology.
4. What does the term “inequality” mean?
5. How does the use of the word “inequality” prejudice the question?
6. How does the author inject terms that prejudice the reader into the premise that Europeans (and Asians to some extent) acted unfairly towards Native Americans, Africans and Aboriginal Australians?
7. How did the author re-phrase Yali’s question (in a neutral way)?
8. Summarize the three main objections to answering Yali’s question.
9. What is meant by a “Eurocentric” approach to history?
10. What is meant by the term “race”?
11. What is “racism”?
12. According to the author, how does racism affect the argument?
13. What evidence does the author supply to refute the concept of “racial superiority”—thus negating the act of racism?
14. What role does IQ (intelligent quotient) play in the argument?
15. Summarize Diamond’s response to the idea that Europeans may perhaps be more innately intelligent that New Guineans. Use his major points to support your summary.
16. Why does his statement that the average New Guinean is, “more intelligent, more alert, more expressive, and more interested in things and people around them than the average European or American is” seem counter-productive to the refutation of his statements against racism?
17. What sort of evidence does the author use to support his theory that the native New Guineans were more intelligent than those of European ancestry?
18. What does the author mean by the term “passive entertainment”?
19. Give an example of “passive entertainment”.
20. What proof can you offer to support the author’s theory regarding “passive entertainment”?
21. Explain why we seem to have a better opportunity to experience this type of entertainment in America and its
Prologue
1. What was Yali’s question?
2. What did Yali mean by “cargo”?
3. Summarize Yali’s question. This requires mentioning race, intelligence, and development of technology.
4. What does the term “inequality” mean?
5. How does the use of the word “inequality” prejudice the question?
6. How does the author inject terms that prejudice the reader into the premise that Europeans (and Asians to some extent) acted unfairly towards Native Americans, Africans and Aboriginal Australians?
7. How did the author re-phrase Yali’s question (in a neutral way)?
8. Summarize the three main objections to answering Yali’s question.
9. What is meant by a “Eurocentric” approach to history?
10. What is meant by the term “race”?
11. What is “racism”?
12. According to the author, how does racism affect the argument?
13. What evidence does the author supply to refute the concept of “racial superiority”—thus negating the act of racism?
14. What role does IQ (intelligent quotient) play in the argument?
15. Summarize Diamond’s response to the idea that Europeans may perhaps be more innately intelligent that New Guineans. Use his major points to support your summary.
16. Why does his statement that the average New Guinean is, “more intelligent, more alert, more expressive, and more interested in things and people around them than the average European or American is” seem counter-productive to the refutation of his statements against racism?
17. What sort of evidence does the author use to support his theory that the native New Guineans were more intelligent than those of European ancestry?
18. What does the author mean by the term “passive entertainment”?
19. Give an example of “passive entertainment”.
20. What proof can you offer to support the author’s theory regarding “passive entertainment”?
21. Explain why we seem to have a better opportunity to experience this type of entertainment in America and its