STEP ONE: Reading the Book
When reading Guns, Germs, and Steel remember that Jared Diamond has put a great deal of work into it. Does this mean you should say only positive things about the book in your review? No. You can still not like the book. However, I do ask that you are respectful and state specifically why you do not like the book. Is GG&S boring? Some people might think so, but that should not be the basis and substance of your review. If you find a book boring, that could be one or two sentences in your review. Additionally, being boring doesn’t mean that the author does not have any valid points that make you think. The same thing goes if you like the book. Try asking yourself why you liked GG&S. Did it help you see the world in a new light? How did the book relate to the rest of Geography 101? The reality is that books have both strengths and weaknesses and that GG&S probably falls into the gray zone between great and horrible.