"Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies.", Jared Diamond, The University of Kansas

Diamond, professor of physiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, will uncover the history of human society in light of the evolution of writing, germs, technology, government and religion -- all of which, he says, are not the ultimate explanation as to why Eurasian society has dominated other cultures for so long. Diamond's theories include a definitive refutation of racism and revolutionary ideas about the fate of societies whose resources are fading due to the current population explosion and the advancement of technology.Diamond has received the MacArthur Foundation fellowship, also known as the "Genius Award," in addition to research prizes from the American Physiological Society, National Geographic Society, the Zoological Society of San Diego, and numerous teaching awards and endowed public lectureships.He has been elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society.