Why did European, and later Euro-Atlantic, civilizations achieve the most spectacular successes in the history of mankind? Why was it Europe, first independently and later together with the United States of America, that created the world in which we live today? What predetermined the global hegemony of the European worldview – industry, military power, or something else? And what influence does the environment have on the worldview not only of an individual, but also of entire nations and even races? Jared Diamond, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, discusses all this and much more in his book.