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Solid writing, solid logic. This is a great read, so long as you don't get bored by detail (I don't!). The author is very capable of taking a seemingly boring topic, and creating an entire book around it. To any person who thinks human variables trump geography and other environmental variables, it important to remember that without the geography to creates the environment that people operate in. I know it sounds stupidly simple, but think about it. One person could not dominate Europe for a great period of time, because of Europe's geography. One person could, however, control all of China, because of China's geography. Thus, without the geography to create the environment, there is no way for any one person to affect the future of the continent.