The book is an attempt to explain why Europeans ended up with the guns, germs, steel, and other technology that they used to take over the rest of the world. Much of the book is centered on food production, and finds that a strangely high concentration of domesticable large animals and large-seeded grains were native to the Fertile Crescent, which had a similar climate to most of Europe. From that initial spread of farming, the more obvious contributors to Europe's colonial expansion could develop. Guns, Germs, and Steel is a very good read for anyone interested in history, and the explanations it provides seem very sound. Although a huge amount of complicated research likely went into the book, it is easy for anyone to understand Diamond's points.