I hope that your summers are going well, that you're relaxing a bit, and that you're also finding time to get through the reading assignment.
Remember that Guns, Germs, and Steel (G-S-S) must be completed by August 11th. If you're struggling with the book, feel free to email me with questions, David1.Stephenson@cobbk12.org.
I strongly advise you to take chapter by chapter notes as you go along, not so much focusing on the specific details, but on the general nature of Diamond's argument, whether it's logical, what you think about it, and what examples either support his thesis or weaken it.
For the second book, remember that you choose one, read it more casually than G-S-S, and write a book review that won't be due until about three weeks into the semester.
If I were in your shoes and had to pick a book now, I'd go with Salt or King Leopold's Ghost, but here's a summary of how I feel about each book:
Salt: This is the lightest of the four. it's a pretty quick read, even though it's the longest. You can kind of skim over the dozens of recipes he offers, but you'll need to pay attention to Salt's effect on economies, population growth, and other demographic patterns.
Plagues and Peoples: This is the most academic. It's a bit like reading a textbook, but one that's all abut diseases and their effect on demographics and history. It is reasonable in length.
Catastrophe: This book is hard to find this year, for some reason. It reads very fast at times, but is slow in other parts. Keep in mind that the author is trying to support a pretty profound theory, so he overshoots a bit, but the fundamental idea is fascinating. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with how a historian thinks..something you'll need to do by the enc of this course.
King Leopold's Ghost: This is by far the most compelling of the four in terms of drawing the reader in. Although long, it's a page-turner. Some of the subject matter can be a bit shocking.
