Writer explores fate of human societies
As part of the 2005-06 Arts and Lectures series, Pulitzer Prize winning writer Jared Diamond is coming to Utah State University.
Diamond, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles in geography, ecology and physiology, is coming to Logan to present his work on the fate of human societies.
His presentation, to be held in the Kent Concert Hall, takes place March 30 at 4:30 p.m. and is expected to last approximentally one hour.
The content of his presentation will focus primarily on one of his previously published books, “Guns, Germs, and Steel.”
The book, which received the Pulitzer Prize in 1997, “explores the geographic, cultural, environmental and technological factors that led to Western culture’s domination of the world,” Mary-Ann Muffoletto, a public relations specialist for the University, said.
Diamond has currently published seven books, including his most recent one in 2005 which examines the fall of nations due to environmental factors.
“I’ve set myself the modest task of trying to explain the broad pattern of human history, on all the continents, for the last 13,000 years,” Diamond said to the Harvard Gazette in 1999. “This problem has fascinated me for a long time, but it’s now ripe for a new synthesis because of recent advances in many fields seemingly remote from history, including molecular biology, plant and animal genetics and biogeography, archaeology, and linguistics.”
Diamond’s books and other publications discuss a variety of topics, many of which Diamond has described as passions.
Other published titles include, “The Third Primate,” “Why is Sex Fun,” “The Birds of Northern Melanesia: Speciation, Ecology, & Biogeography” and an article, “Japanese Roots.”
Diamond’s visit is the next in the Arts and Lectures series presented by the Associated Students of Utah State University’s. He follows the presentation by Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager in 1994 during a mass genocide in Rwanda.
“Diamond is one of the great scientific minds of our time,” said James MacMahon, USU trustee professor and director of USU’s Ecology Center. “His visit is a rare opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.”
Diamond’s presentation is sponsored by the Student Activity Board, the Ecology Center, the College of Agriculture, the College of Science and the College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences, the USU Vice President for Research office, Utah Public Radio and KVNU Radio.
The event is free to the public and students are encouraged to go. For more information or questions about the lecture, please call 797-2912.
-nebutler@cc.usu.edu