response 262 of 293:

Dec 19 16:28 UTC 2003

re: the book "Guns, Germs and Steel": It's been recommended twice now, 
and maybe I would find it interesting, but I doubt if anyone here reads 
whole books to pick up a point someone else is making about a drift 
thread in a discussion item.  I certainly don't.

If I were to read the book (which I may), I would then doubtless have 
many questions and points to make with the author, some of which you 
might address, but likely not most.

Meanwhile, why not *make a point yourself*?  I am utterly unimpressed 
by someone saying, in essence, "I'm not going to bother to say 
anything, but I'll point you at some book, it's really good, and has 
something to say; just assume whatever you find impressive is my point 
and therefore that I'm really smart".

Now, if you want to invite the author here to debate his points, then 
you'd have done something useful to contribute to the discussion.

Joe, at least, was supplementing his points with the book reference.

Imagine a discussion where we debate points by citing authors and 
books?  "I read _A Treatise on Medieval Church Influences_, what do you 
say to that?"  "Oh, yeah, well, _Arabic Technology Comic Books_ 
answered that one; read issues #111-115."  What wonderful reading (and 
fun) that would be.  As if any of us has enough attention span to 
follow an item that covers more than a day, let alone months.