12. Guns Germs and Steel

I finished two other novel while I was reading Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond (including the hated DaVinci Code) and this was certainly my favorite of the three. I love books like this, that take a long view of things, propose bold theories, and, consequently, change your worldview. But not only is it full of good ideas, it's well-written. A fantastic book all-around.