My wonderful g/f got me the 8 dvd set for xmas and I watched it in 3 days. So inthralled I'm watching the entire 16 hr set over again. Absolutely the most informative history visualized of NYC. Anyone else here a big history buff like me? I could watch any American Experience episode.

I've watched this dvd set as well and loved it.

You've piqued my interest C-$$. My little sis just moved to NYC last Spring, and I can't wait to go there this coming year...haven't been since '95!

I am a huge history buff as well, and I am only now reading Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond. It won the Pulitzer in '99. Diamond tackles one of the most important questions of global history: Why did Europeans come to dominate the New World?

This question has been answered by others before; Diamond's idea that Europe's geography is the cause ("geographical determinism") has also been proposed before. Any student of history can drag up a case or two of this thesis. The deep significance of this book is that Diamond's thesis is not simply idle speculation. He proves that the Eurasian land mass had by far the best biological resources with which to develop agricultural societies, and was thus more able to form large, coherent, and powerful social entities.

If you are looking for reasons why Europe came to dominate the world, rather than, say, China, Diamond presents mixed results. He mentions the 14th century self-isolation of China, but unfortunately does not analyze it. He also brings up the odd theory about the relationship between the coastline lengths of Europe and China and trade potential.

If you are looking for a book that explains the world's history of the past 500 years, look elsewhere. This book exhausts itself by effectively, coherently, fundamentally, definitively, and entertainingly explaining the preceeding 15,000. I do not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone with an interest in world history.

The scientific method also enabled the west a profound technological leap forward ahead of the Chinese, who up to that time held a great advantage due to its population size. Millions of tests contained within a single laboratory versus millions of people needed for trial and error in feudal apprenticeships.