compare and contrast: SIMILARITIES 1. TECHNOLOGY/SOCIAL ORGANIZATION (all 3), in

compare and contrast:
SIMILARITIES
1. TECHNOLOGY/SOCIAL ORGANIZATION (all 3), ingenuity (Diamond) and social organization (Morris). There are no genetic differences of intellect or inherent superiority (Diamond), because humans are “much the same wherever we find them” (Morris, p 214). All three authors cite societal organization and technology as a fundamental reason for advancement and growth.
2. SETTLEMENTS, FARMS AND CITIES A. Growth due to Geography of land (Diamond) & Geography of water (Morris), and the transition from hunter-gatherers to agricultural settlements. Domestication of plants & animals, moving across continents east to west in Eurasia (Diamond) or lucky latitudes (Morris); then to the Americas with commerce and trade.
2. B Explosive growth once laborers moved off farms and into cities (p.500); transition from farming to factories, and rural living to cities in America.
3. A. WAR Importance of ability for war: Morris and Diamond agree, the quest to conquer using weapons made from metal and horses used by soldiers.
3. B. WAR Gordon WWII had a significant impact on US economy, particularly technological advancement and productivity (in part to women entering the workforce).
4. TRANSPORTATION Diamond talks of moving domesticated crops across latitudes; Morris talks of ship building and advances in navigation from the Chinese. Gordon discusses the automobile, paved roads, moving cargo with trains then planes.
5. DISEASE AND DISEASE RESISTENCE Diamond and Morris agree by living in close proximity to domesticated animals, built human disease resistance. Gordon believes, we avoid disease through sanitation in medicine, network piping of clean, safe drinking water and discharge of sewage and through the discovery of disease, development of antibiotics and vaccines.
DIFFERING THOUGHTS
1. A Diamond believes with new technology comes new problems that cannot predicted. However, Gordon believes technology has stagnated and he too does not predict technology is key to a prosperous future.
1. B Morris predicts a five-fold increase in the Social Development using his SDI for measurement., but also contradicts himself a bit saying, where there is growth and social development (prosperity), it is often accompanied by a decline in wellbeing (p 94).