Civilizations

Civilizations: Culture, Ambition, and the Transformation of Nature by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto

First item of note: The preface to this book almost stopped from continuing to read the book as I didn't find it interesting or an enjoyable read at all but I'm glad that I kept reading.

The book examines civilizations from a prospective that I hadn't seen used before; by climate. The author separates the world into several categories such as Waste Land (Desert, Tundra, Ice), Grasslands, Wet Climates, Dry Climates, Highlands, the Sea, etc..

In each interest the author examines the evolution of the different civilizations that sprang from each of the environments and discusses how that environment shaped their cultural expectations.

I found the discussion to be interesting (though the book does have some parts that will leave you scratching your head in wonder about the point being made) and thought provoking and I would recommend it to anyone that wants to broaden their horizons.