"Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond. Bugged out book about the history of humanity, its not such an easy read, but incredibly interested. I've only read a part of it, the part on germs and it was really freaky because he explained how they are these living organisms that have strategy's of survival just like we do. It talks about how when you develop a fever it is your body's reaction to germs, as if its trying in vain to burn them out of you. Or coughing, or sneezing, and the runny nose, all that good stuff, is done to you by germs. Other salacious details include how whites sent blankets used by small pox patients as gifts to Native Americans. (Apparently around Christmas time = P Good read, tough around the other chapters but just for that chapter on germs alone its worth to pick it up at the library.
I read some of it and stopped. The part I read is based on a seriously flawed understanding of Native American history and culture, i.e. that at contact they were predominately hunter/gatherers. Excepting the coastal and far northern tribes, most N.A. cultures at points of European contact had been primarily farmers for many generations. If that misunderstanding had been of an ancillary nature I would have ignored it; unfortunately, it was the basis of his argument. And yes, germ warfare of a sort was carried out by the British in the form of poxy blankets, here's a reputable source: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/smallpox1.html Doesn't change that Diamond's theory is based on a false premise.
