Can You Trust Jared Diamond?

Jared Diamond is a master of cultural and historical bricolage. His books weave epic stories about the human condition from the disparate cultural practices of a wide range of people living in different environments. In his Pulitzer Prize–winning Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond used this eclectic empiricism to tell a story about the role of geography in human history. In Collapse, he used the same approach to stage a morality play about the dangers of disregarding those geographic conditions. In his new book, The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?, Diamond probes the differences between modern cultures and traditional societies that subsist through hunting and gathering, and he comes to several bold conclusions about their relative merits. His examples are evocative and his narration is powerful, but Diamond ultimately fails to substantiate his arguments. By the end of the book, it is impossible to tell if one has finished reading a masterpiece of rigorous analysis or a masterfully written collection of just-so stories. Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2013-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #human history #finished reading

Other news stories related to: "Can You Trust Jared Diamond?"


Taking a “Trust Fall” with Indies

We’re in a very personal business,” said Jill Hendrix, owner of Fiction Addiction in Greenville, S.C., who has developed close ties with many of her customers since opening the store in 2001. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Clare Hall-Craggs joins Book Trust as Woodfine leaves

Former publicist Clare Hall-Craggs is joining Book Trust to look after laureate Chris Riddell, as Katherine Woodfine is leaving her role as arts project manager at the charity.   Hall-Craggs is joining Book Trust on an “ongoing basis” and will take on responsibility for looking after Riddell,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Comic-Con: Sales and Number of Stores Up, Diamond Reports

Led by sales of comics, revenue at Diamond Distributors rose 10% in the first half of 2015 over the same period in 2014. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Trust award for Shirley Hughes

Book Trust will tomorrow (7th July) present Shirley Hughes with a lifetime achievement award at a ceremony in London.   The prize, which celebrates the body of work of an author or illustrator who has made an outstanding contribution to children literature, will be presented to Hughes for her... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Trust chooses Nosy Crow title for Booktime

Reading charity Book Trust has chosen Nosy Crow’s Open Very Carefully, by Nicola O’Byrne and Nick Bromley, to send to reception-aged children through this year’s Booktime scheme.  For Booktime, which is now in its 10th year, Book Trust will send packs with the book, as well as a reading guide,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scottish Book Trust gets £95k for young writers

The Scottish Book Trust has been awarded £95,000 for a new national programme for young writers, from Time To Shine, Scotland’s National Youth Arts Strategy. The Young Writers programme will include a conference, development of writers groups across Scotland, and an online platform to showcase... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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L’Amour Legacy Shines like a ‘Diamond’

Louis L’Amour’s western novels and stories have made him a popular author, even 27 years after his death. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Love to Talk About "Trust," But What Do They Mean?

Trust is currency when it comes to media. Facing the specter of a tough ad market, many top publishers fall back on “trust” as a differentiator — and excuse for higher ad rates.   “We consider ourselves mo ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Aird awarded CWA diamond dagger

Catherine Aird has been awarded the Crime Writer’s Association Diamond Dagger award. The Diamond Dagger winner is chosen by the CWA committee from a shortlist of writers judged worthy by their peers. Shortlisted authors must have sustained excellence in their careers and made a significant... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Snapchat Does What Facebook Couldn’t: Get Publishers To Trust it with Their Content

Snapchat has introduced a new feature which allows its users to view articles, images, and videos from a variety of publishers inside the company’s messaging application. It’s called Discover, and it’s a major depar ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Diamond 2014 Results Dip Despite Strong Comics Market

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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More Top Media Publications Trust Programmatic For Premium Ad Inventory

More top publishers are opting into programmatic ad networks to sell premium advertising. Varick Media Management recently signed exclusive deals with Time Inc., News Corp., American Media Inc. and Wenner Media and will help them sell ad units that feature photography, videos and other types of... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-12-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Derek Jeter Steps Off the Baseball Diamond and Into Content Marketing

What's the logical second act for a baseball player who has won a Roberto Clemente Award, two Hank Aaron Awards, five Silver Slugger awards, and five Golden Glove Awards? Content marketing, of course.At least, that's what Derek Jeter seems to think, having launched The Players' Tribune just four... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New York Comic Con 2014: Trajectory, Diamond Target Schools, Libraries

Trajectory and Diamond Comics Distributors announced an initiative at New York Comic Con to provide an expanded catalogue of digital comics and graphic novels to schools and libraries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Carnegie Trust launches £200,000 library innovation fund

The Carnegie UK Trust is starting a new £200,000 project to help expand the role of public... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Diamond Comic-Con Report: Graphic Novels, Merch Up, Periodicals Down

Total 2014 half-year figures are up 3.8% over 2013 and 12% over 2012, suggesting a healthier, diversifying market for comics specialty stores. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Daily News to Sell Diamond Avenue Building, Paper to Relocate Elsewhere in City

As part of the ongoing transition of the traditional print media, Digital First Media is putting the Daily News' Diamond Avenue building up for sale. The Daily News will relocate to a smaller building elsewhere in the city, said Publisher Gre ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2014: Diamonds Are a Bakers’ Best Friend

Baker Publishing Group celebrates its 75th anniversary at BEA and for the occasion is offering free copies of The Baker Book House Story, the recently released history of the company, and another gift, while supplies last at booth 1031. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Diamond, Trajectory Partner to Deliver Digital Comics

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Diamond: Graphic Novels Up, Comics Periodicals Down in 2014

While the first few months of 2014 were tough for comics specialty retailers, graphic novel and merchandise sales remained solid. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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