Books Like Guns, Germs, and Steel

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond has a particular pull. Why did some societies end up conquering others, instead of the other way around? Geography, it turns out, had a lot to do with it.

What tends to stick with readers is its informative, thought-provoking and big ideas feel. Changes how you see the entire shape of human history. Below are 7 books that carry that feeling in different ways, matched on shared mood, themes and reading experience. Guns, Germs, and Steel is a long, slow-paced read (reading level: moderate), so we've noted where each pick is quicker, slower or heavier.

The book you loved

Guns, Germs, and Steel

Jared Diamond

7 books you might enjoy

1.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari
If it was the informative and thought-provoking side of Guns, Germs, and Steel you loved, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind delivers it too. Both carry the #big-ideas tag. It's an easier read than Guns, Germs, and Steel.
Long · Easy pace · Easy to follow
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2.
Band of Brothers
Stephen Ambrose
Band of Brothers shares Guns, Germs, and Steel's thought-provoking appeal. It runs a bit longer than Guns, Germs, and Steel.
Medium · Fast pace · Easy to follow
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3.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
If it was the informative and thought-provoking side of Guns, Germs, and Steel you loved, Thinking, Fast and Slow delivers it too. Both carry the #big-ideas and #dense tags.
Long · Slow pace · Moderate
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4.
All the Light We Cannot See
Anthony Doerr
If it was the thought-provoking side of Guns, Germs, and Steel you loved, All the Light We Cannot See delivers it too. Both carry the #pulitzer tag.
Long · Slow pace · Moderate
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5.
Beloved
Toni Morrison
Like Guns, Germs, and Steel, Beloved is thought-provoking. Both carry the #pulitzer tag. It runs a bit longer than Guns, Germs, and Steel.
Medium · Slow pace · Challenging
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6.
Half of a Yellow Sun
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Like Guns, Germs, and Steel, Half of a Yellow Sun is thought-provoking.
Long · Slow pace · Moderate
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7.
The Diary of a Young Girl
Anne Frank
Like Guns, Germs, and Steel, The Diary of a Young Girl is thought-provoking. It runs a bit longer than Guns, Germs, and Steel.
Medium · Easy pace · Beginner-friendly
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