SKU: 84375185485

2022-23 Upper Deck Artifacts Hockey Hobby Box

Name: 2022-23 Upper Deck Artifacts Hockey Hobby Box
Brand: sm10m.ch
SKU: 84375185485
Price: 112.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.404100000000001 (16 reviews)

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Description

2022-23 Upper Deck Artifacts Hockey Hobby BoxEach Box contains Three Autograph, Memorabilia, and or Tech Insert Cards, Four Serially #'d Base Set Base Set Parallel Cards & One Non Auto Mem Rookie Redemption Card or Clear Cut Acetate Card! The latest edition of Artifacts features a diverse 250 card base set which includes redemption cards for new skating 2022 23 rookies. The base set breaks down as follows (subject to change): Regular (1 100) Stars (101 135; #'d to 599) Goalies (136 155; #'d to

Each Box contains Three Autograph, Memorabilia, and/or Tech Insert Cards, Four Serially-#'d Base Set/Base Set Parallel Cards & One Non-Auto/Mem Rookie Redemption Card or Clear Cut Acetate Card!

The latest edition of Artifacts features a diverse 250-card base set which includes redemption cards for new-skating 2022-23 rookies. The base set breaks down as follows (subject to change):
Regular (1-100) | Stars (101-135; #'d to 599) | Goalies (136-155; #'d to 599) | Legends (156-170; #'d to 599) | Rookies (171-200; #'d to 999) | Rookie Redemptions (201-250)

The parallel/variant lineup is extensive and loaded with colorful, serially-#'d sets, including many with autographs and/or premium memorabilia. Even the top six prospects in the Rookie Redemption program will be featured on a full array of auto, memorabilia and auto/memorabilia cards. All of the parallels sporting autographs and/or memorabilia are Hobby- exclusive! For a complete parallel list, see the "Product Breakdown" section below.
Box Break: Each box will contain, on average, four (4) serially-#'d base set and/or base set parallel cards, including one (1) #'d to 99 or less.

Hard-Signed Autographs! 2022-23 Artifacts features five autographed insert sets, all of which are
Hobby-exclusive living sets:

- Admirable Impressions: We're adding seven new retired and active stars to this set, now in its fourth year. Each card is #'d to 24.

- New! Award Winners Autographs: This is the beginning of an all-new planned living set which will consist of veterans and retired players who have won a major NHL award. Each card, #'d to 25, will highlight an award won.

- Esteemed Endorsements: This is the fifth year of this popular living set! Collectors can add all new retired legends and active superstars to their Esteemed Endorsements collection. Each card is #'d to 28 and some may also feature an inscription along with the hard-signed autograph.

- Signature Apparel: Signature Apparel, now in its third year, sports a diverse checklist consisting of legends, veteran stars and top rookies. Each card is #'d to 36 (Tier 1) or 12 (Tier 2) and features a premium game-worn patch swatch alongside the hard-signed autograph.

- Storied Scripts: Storied Scripts returns after a successful 2021-22 debut with 10 new active and retired stars. Each card is #'d to 25 and may also feature an inscription along with the hard-signed autograph.

This year's Arena Artifacts set commemorates the historic Boston Garden, home to the Boston Bruins from 1928-1995. As it was the home of some of the greatest teams in NHL history, Boston Garden hosted the Stanley Cup Final an impressive 17 times. Each card in this special set #'d to 95 features a legendary Bruins player (who played in the Garden) alongside a piece of a relic from the legendary facility.

New! Fans and collectors alike will love the new Hobby-exclusive Game Ticket Artifacts set! Each card features an authentic game ticket relic from a notable game in the career of an active or retired superstar player. The set is serially-#'d and consists of two subsets - Modern (1989-2021) and Vintage (1949-1988).

The popular Aurum Signatures cards feature retired legends, active stars and top 2022-23 rookies - all #'d to just 25. Collectors will be chasing the really rare Aurum Signatures Duals cards #'d to just 5 and featuring some incredible pairings!

Year One Rookie Sweaters cards feature top 2021-22 rookies accompanied by either a jersey or premium patch swatch derived from actual rookie season game-worn jerseys! The cards featuring premium swatches are #'d to 25.

BOUNTY PROGRAM:
The Aurum Bounty Card Program returns with a 48-card set-within-a-set! Each card features the player etched out in Gold Light FX.

The Mission - Collect the complete 48-card Aurum Bounty set! Each card will feature a scratch-off bounty code.

Achievements to Earn - Once you've entered all 48 unique codes, you will be awarded Aurum Rookie cards #49 and #50. As a bonus, those who complete this mission the fastest will have a shot to earn the following bonus achievements in addition to the two rookie cards:

First 3 - The first 3 collectors who collect & redeem the compete 48-card Aurum Bounty set will earn one (1) 12-card Aurum set + one (1) Aurum Autograph card + one (1) Aurum Dual Autograph card.

Next 7 - The next 7 collectors who collect & redeem the compete 48-card Aurum Bounty set will earn one (1) 12-card Aurum set + one (1) Aurum Autograph card.

Next 10 - The next 10 collectors who collect & redeem the compete 48-card Aurum Bounty set will earn one (1) 12-card Aurum set.

Redeem all bounty cards at UpperDeckBounty.com. For more information about the bounty program, visit the site on or after release date.

PRODUCT BREAKDOWN:

Rookie Redemption Cards: (All are Hobby Exclusive except those noted with an *)

Base Set Rookie Redemptions* (201-250) 1:18
Base Set Rookie Redemptions - Emerald Parallel 1:130
Base Set Rookie Redemptions - Horizontal SP Photo Variants (1-5) 1:265
Base Set Rookie Redemptions - Horizontal SP Photo Variants (1-5) - Emerald Parallel 1:5200
Retro Rookie Redemptions #1-15 1:45
Rookie Redemptions I-VI - Auto Variation (Tier 1) 1:1500
Rookie Redemptions VII-XII - Auto Variation (Tier 2) 1:600
Rookie Redemptions XIII-XVIII - Auto Variation (Tier 3) 1:300
Rookie Redemption #SP1-#SP5 - Auto Horizontal Variation 1:4800
Rookie Relic Redemptions I-VI - Gold (Jersey-Jersey) 1:269
Rookie Relic Redemptions I-VI - Gold Auto (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel 1:3063
Rookie Relic Redemptions I-VI - Emerald (Jersey-Patch) 1:1083
Rookie Relic Redemptions I-VI - Emerald Auto (Jersey-Patch) Parallel 1:7147
Rookie Relic Redemptions I-VI - Purple (Patch-Patch) 1:2188
Rookie Relic Redemptions I-VI - Purple Auto (Patch-Patch) Parallel 1:21440
Rookie Relic Redemptions I-VI - Black (Patch-Tag) 1:21440
Rookie Relic Redemptions I-VI - Black Auto (Patch-Tag) Parallel 1:107200

Non-Rookie Redemption Premium Autograph & Memorabilia Cards: (All are Hobby Exclusive)

Admirable Impressions #'d to 24
Arena Artifacts #'d to 95
Aurum Signatures Duals #'d to 5
Aurum Signatures Legends #'d to 25
Aurum Signatures Rookies #'d to 25
Aurum Signatures Veterans #'d to 25
NEW! Award Winners Autographs #'d to 25
Base Set Legends - Material Emerald (Jersey-Premium) Parallel #'d to 25
Base Set Legends - Material Purple (Premium-Premium) Parallel #'d to 15
Base Set Legends - Material Orange (Fight Strap-Fight Strap) Parallel #'d to 10
Base Set Legends - Material Black (Premium-Premium) Parallel #'d to 2
Base Set Regular - Black Auto Parallel #'d to 5
Base Set Regular - Material Emerald (Jersey-Premium) Parallel #'d to 65
Base Set Regular - Material Purple (Premium-Premium) Parallel #'d to 25
Base Set Regular - Material Orange (Fight Strap-Fight Strap) Parallel #'d to 15
Base Set Regular - Material Black (Premium-Premium) Parallel #'d to 5
Base Set Rookies - Black Auto Parallel #'d to 5
Base Set Rookies - Material Emerald (Jersey-Patch) Parallel #'d to 99
Base Set Rookies - Material Purple (Patch-Patch) Parallel #'d to 49
Base Set Rookies - Material Orange (Fight Strap-Fight Strap) Parallel #'d to 15
Base Set Rookies - Material Black (Patch-Tag) Parallel #'d to 5
Base Set Rookies - Material Gold Auto Tier 1 (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 149
Base Set Rookies - Material Gold Auto Tier 2 (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 99
Base Set Rookies - Material Gold Auto Tier 3 (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 25
Base Set Rookies - Material Emerald Auto Tier 1 (Jersey-Patch) Parallel #'d to 45
Base Set Rookies - Material Emerald Auto Tier 2 (Jersey-Patch) Parallel #'d to 15
Base Set Rookies - Material Purple Auto Tier 1 (Patch-Patch) Parallel #'d to 15
Base Set Rookies - Material Purple Auto Tier 2 (Patch-Patch) Parallel #'d to 10
Base Set Rookies - Material Orange Auto Tier 1 (Fight Strap-Fight Strap) Parallel #'d to 10
Base Set Rookies - Material Orange Auto Tier 2 (Fight Strap-Fight Strap) Parallel #'d to 5
Base Set Rookies - Material Black Auto (Tag-Patch) Parallel #'d 1-of-1
Base Set Rookies Horizontal - Auto Tier 1 (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 49
Base Set Rookies Horizontal - Auto Tier 2 (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 10
Base Set Rookies Horizontal (Jersey-Patch) - Emerald Parallel #'d to 25
Base Set Rookies Horizontal (Patch-Patch) - Purple Parallel #'d to 6
Base Set Rookies Horizontal (Patch-Tag) - Black Parallel #'d to 2
Base Set Stars/Goalies - Material Emerald (Jersey-Premium) Parallel #'d to 35
Base Set Stars/Goalies - Material Purple (Premium-Premium) Parallel #'d to 15
Base Set Stars/Goalies - Material Orange (Fight Strap-Fight Strap) Parallel #'d to 10
Base Set Stars/Goalies - Material Black (Premium-Premium) Parallel #'d to 3
Base Set Stars/Goalies Horizontal - Auto Tier 1 (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 25
Base Set Stars/Goalies Horizontal - Auto Tier 2 (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 8
Base Set Stars/Goalies Horizontal (Patch-Patch) - Purple Parallel #'d to 4
Base Set Stars/Goalies Horizontal (Patch-Tag) - Black Parallel #'d to 2
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Black Auto Parallel #'d to 5
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Material Gold Auto Tier 1 (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 65
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Material Gold Auto Tier 2 (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 45
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Material Gold Auto Tier 3 (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 25
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Material Emerald Auto (Jersey-Premium) Parallel #'d to 15
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Material Purple Auto (Premium-Premium) Parallel #'d to 10
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Material Orange Auto (Fight Strap-Fight Strap) Parallel #'d to 5
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Material Black Auto (Premium-Premium) Parallel #'d 1-of-1
Esteemed Endorsements #'d to 28
NEW! Game Ticket Artifacts - Modern Varied #'ing
NEW! Game Ticket Artifacts - Vintage Varied #'ing
Net Gear (Jersey) - Auto Parallel #'d to 25
NHL Remnants (Premium) #'d to 25
Signature Apparel (Tier 1) #'d to 36
Signature Apparel (Tier 2) #'d to 12
Signs of Success (Tier 1) #'d to 49
Signs of Success (Tier 2) #'d to 15
Storied Scripts #'d to 25
Threads of Time (Premium) #'d to 25
Top Tier Rookie Signatures 1:1000
Top 12 Rookie Signatures - 2021-22 Update 1:2000
Treasured Swatches - Dual Swatch (Jersey-Jersey) Auto Parallel (Tier 1) #'d to 25
Treasured Swatches - Dual Swatch (Jersey-Jersey) Auto Parallel (Tier 2) #'d to 10
Treasured Swatches - Dual Swatch (Jersey-Premium) Auto Parallel #'d to 5
Tundra Teammates Duos (Premium) #'d to 15
Tundra Teammates Quads (Premium) #'d to 10
Year One Rookie Sweaters (Premium) #'d to 25

Other Autograph & Memorabilia Cards:

2005-06 Retro AutoFacts* 1:112
AutoFacts* 1:33
Base Set Regular - Material Gold (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 249
Base Set Legends - Material Gold (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 149
Base Set Rookies - Material Gold (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 599
Base Set Rookies Horizontal (Jersey-Jersey) #'d to 399
Base Set Stars/Goalies - Material Gold (Jersey-Jersey) Parallel #'d to 199
Base Set Stars/Goalies Horizontal (Jersey-Jersey) #'d to 149
Treasured Swatches 1:160
Net Gear (Jersey) 1:120
NHL Remnants (Jersey)* 1:40
Threads of Time (Jersey) 1:80
Tundra Teammates Duos (Jersey) #'d to 249
Tundra Teammates Quads (Jersey) #'d to 99
Year One Rookie Sweaters (Jersey) 1:240

Aurum Bounty Cards: (All are Hobby Exclusive)

Aurum 1:20
Aurum SP Holdover Rookies (Tier 1) 1:160
Aurum SP Holdover Rookies (Tier 2) 1:320
Aurum SP Legends 1:640
Aurum SP Legends All-Stars 1:640

Clear Cut Cards:

2005-06 Clear Cut Retro Artifacts Rookies 1:67
2021-22 Clear Cut Artifacts Rookie Update 1:50
2022-23 Clear Cut Artifacts Rookies 1:67

Non-Auto/Mem/Rookie Redemption Base Set Cards:

Base Set Regular (1-100) N/A
Base Set Regular - Ruby Parallel #'d to 499
NEW! Base Set Regular - Copper Parallel #'d to 299
Base Set Regular - Royal Blue Parallel #'d to 199
Base Set Regular - Emerald Parallel #'d to 99
Base Set Regular - Light Blue Steel Parallel #'d to 85
Base Set Regular - Autumn Parallel #'d to 75
Base Set Regular - Rose Parallel #'d to 65
Base Set Regular - Yellow Parallel #'d to 50
Base Set Regular - Pink Parallel #'d to 35
Base Set Regular - Purple Parallel #'d to 25
Base Set Regular - Indigo Parallel #'d to 10
Base Set Regular - Black Parallel (Hobby Exclusive!) #'d to 5
Base Set Rookies (171-200) #'d to 999
Base Set Rookies - Ruby Parallel #'d to 499
NEW! Base Set Rookies - Copper Parallel #'d to 299
Base Set Rookies - Royal Blue Parallel #'d to 199
Base Set Rookies - Emerald Parallel #'d to 99
Base Set Rookies - Light Blue Steel Parallel #'d to 85
Base Set Rookies - Autumn Parallel #'d to 75
Base Set Rookies - Rose Parallel #'d to 65
Base Set Rookies - Yellow Parallel #'d to 50
Base Set Rookies - Pink Parallel #'d to 35
Base Set Rookies - Purple Parallel #'d to 25
Base Set Rookies - Indigo Parallel #'d to 10
Base Set Rookies - Black Parallel (Hobby Exclusive!) #'d to 5
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends (101-170) #'d to 599
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Ruby Parallel #'d to 499
NEW! Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Copper Parallel #'d to 299
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Royal Blue Parallel #'d to 199
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Emerald Parallel #'d to 99
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Light Blue Steel Parallel #'d to 85
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Autumn Parallel #'d to 75
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Rose Parallel #'d to 65
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Yellow Parallel #'d to 50
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Pink Parallel #'d to 35
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Purple Parallel #'d to 25
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Indigo Parallel #'d to 10
Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends - Black Parallel (Hobby Exclusive!) #'d to 5
NEW! Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends/Rookies Leather Variant (Hobby Exclusive!) 1:53
NEW! Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends/Rookies Plexi Variant (Hobby Exclusive!) 1:80
NEW! Base Set Stars/Goalies/Legends/Rookies Wood Variant (Hobby Exclusive!) 1:32

8 Packs per Box, 4 Cards per Pack

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Product Reviews

Verified Purchase

Piotr S.

West Palm Beach, US

★★★★★ 5

good quality

Format: Hardcover, Format: Hardcover

Content is top notch as always. My 5-stars go mainly to reflect print quality of the book. Text is nice and clear, binding is done in proper cloth spine binding as you would expect from hardcover edition. Ordered my book on Feb 5th, 2019 and received it on Feb 11th, 2019. The book feels solid not like to fall apart right away. No issues like those reported for "Real-Time Rendering, 4th Edition" or "Physically Based Rendering: From Theory to Implementation 3rd Edition" or "3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development, 2nd Edition". This one is a keeper, so sad some other CG books had to go beacuse of the quality "issues".

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Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2019

Verified Purchase

Tyler aldrich

Massapequa, US

★★★★★ 4

An Invaluable Book

Format: Hardcover, Format: Hardcover

Game Engine Architecture" by Jason Gregory has proven to be a treasure trove of knowledge, especially in the realms of lower-level computer programming and the inner workings of CPUs. The first third of the book, which I have thoroughly enjoyed, dives deep into the intricacies of memory management and concurrent programming. Gregory’s explanations are so lucid and engaging that the complex concepts of memory orders such as relaxed, release, and acquire have become clear to me, showcasing their critical roles in programming. What is particularly remarkable is how the book's first 400 pages serve not just as a guide to game engine architecture, but also stand on their own as an excellent introduction to computer science. It's a testament to the author's skill in distilling complex material into digestible content that even those without a vested interest in game development would find immense value in. However, a caveat I must mention is the book's physical heft. Its size and bulk make it somewhat unwieldy, and I learned this the hard way when it fell from my desk. The impact caused the page binding to tear away from the hard cover, which was disappointing considering the book's cost. Nevertheless, with some craftiness involving thick drawing paper and glue, I managed to repair it. If the author adds any more information to the next edition, it'd probably be best to turn this into a 2-3 volume set to manage the size. Despite this setback, the book remains an invaluable resource. Its depth and clarity are unmatched, making it a worthy addition to any tech enthusiast's library. Just be sure to handle it with care.

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Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2023

Verified Purchase

ghostwriter

Massapequa, US

★★★★★ 5

Much thicker than I expected!

Format: Hardcover

This book is massive and could easily be split into two or three volumes, which is great because it covers a very deep topic. It will be a while before I read the book from cover to cover, but the few chapters I've skipped to were able to help me immediately on some problem areas in a game engine that I built last year. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in video game development.

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Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2021

Verified Purchase

Jessica Jarrett

Dallas, US

★★★★★ 5

Kickstarts your knowledge of game dev

Format: Hardcover

This book hits on all cylinders, condensing decades of actionable knowledge about game development into a single source. There's a lot more to game dev than what's in this book, but this gives fantastic usable detail on many subjects and gets you oriented with and pointed in the right directions for the few it doesn't.

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Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2021

Verified Purchase

gloine36

Houston, US

★★★★★ 5

One of my favorite books and the inspiration for my World Regional Geography courses that I teach.

Format: Hardcover

Two decades ago when I served in the Missouri National Guard we had an extended drill weekend at Ft. Leonard Wood for a live fire artillery exercise. This was a three day drill and I remember it clearly because it was the same weekend as Princess Diana’s funeral on September 6, 1997. I had been at the local library the day before we rolled out and saw an interesting book that promised to explain why western civilization had been the one to colonize the New World and rise to ascendency over much of the world for a long period of time. That had always been an interesting question for me and one which many people do not know the answer to. I checked out the book and during some downtime I began to read. To say that the book grabbed my attention is an understatement. I started it on Friday and finished it on Saturday. My whole conception of how history had seen the rise of Western Civilization was fundamentally altered and would never be the same. At the time I thought that using Guns, Germs, and Steel as an educational tool would be a great idea. My dream of teaching history had never been realized and in 1997 seemed like it would never happen. However, history is full of strange things and in 2009 I got the chance to return to college and pick up my degrees. I began teaching American History in 2013 and was then asked to teach World Regional Geography for the Spring 2014 semester. They handed me a textbook and said, “Good luck.” As I drove back home I considered how I would teach this course and my mind recalled Jared Diamond and his Pulitzer Prize winning book. To make the story short, I built a course that used the textbook, Diamond’s book, and the National Geographic series based on the book. Obviously I take what Diamond said in Guns, Germs, and Steel seriously. I think Diamond did some outstanding work in doing three decades of research and then writing a book which to me is resonates with readers. For many years the idea that Western Civilization was superior to any other form has been the dominant world view. Diamond rejects that completely by saying Western Civilization had advantages that others did not have due to geography, or literally where it was. When you stop and think about it, why were the Europeans so superior to others for so long? Was it their race, their ideals, or what? Diamond said it was because of where they started that they developed into the world spanning civilization we know. What advantages did the Europeans have over others? They arrived with technology superior to all others, were better organized, and had the lethal gift of germs which in the Americas killed over half the population and was the biggest reason as to why the Europeans took those lands over. When Diamond explored the germ theory he realized that these germs came from contact with domesticated mammals such as horses, cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, and goats. These same mammals were what enabled Europeans to transport materials as well as have a convenient food supply and a power source such as horses pulling plows. This idea works when you look at the Americas and Australia, but not when you look at Africa and Asia. The lethality of germs did not affect the people in those regions like it did the Americas. In fact, some of the diseases in Africa killed the Europeans and prevented them for exploiting Sub-Saharan Africa for centuries. Some of these germs are now known to have come from Asia as well along with domestic animals that came from there. Many of the larger mammals Europe had were also found in Asia. In fact, some of the technology such as gunpowder came from Asia as well. Diamond acknowledged this in his book and sought to explain why Europe was able to expand while Asia did not. This is something I really stress in my class and it is something which the book and National Geographic series does not explore as deeply as it should. Diamond saw a decision made in the 15th century by a Chinese emperor as being the decisive event that altered human history. At that point China was the leading power in the world. It had a great navy, the largest country, gunpowder, advanced technology and far more people thanks to its agricultural practices than any other nation at that time. The decision by emperors in China’s Ming dynasty led to China losing its technological advantage over Europe although no one had any idea that this was happening. These decisions or orders are called Haijin. Diamond did not explore this in any depth other than to point to it and say that China’s inward looking policies which had existed for centuries were the result of its location, its geography. Its singular form of government used Haijin to build up its power at the expense of expanding China’s culture and boundaries. There is a lot here to work with, but Diamond seems to casually bring it up in the book’s epilogue. Instead he focuses heavily on the Americas where his theory of environmental determinism is the strongest. I think he gets the theory right, but in the case of Asia he needed to go deeper. Since Diamond is an ornithologist by education, and his world journey’s focused on New Guinea, I think his point of view was heavily influenced through his contact with hunter-gatherers. His theory is at its weakest in Asia and specifically China. That again reflects his preference for focusing on one type of people versus another. This does not mean his theory is wrong. It just needs expansion and I do not think Diamond will be doing that any time soon. His recent works have dealt with different ideas. Even with this glaring problem, I think this book is outstanding. It does answer the question of why Western Civilization dominated the world for the most part. For my geography class it is a wonderful tool. I focus heavily on how man domesticated two grains from the Middle East, wheat and barley, and built Western Civilization upon them. Coupled with the domestication of large mammals, the forerunners of Western Civilization spread through Europe. Geography played a huge role in why it went west and why there are so many differences between East and West on a cultural level. It also explains why there are such huge differences between North Africa and the lands to the south of the Sahara. The role of geography in shaping mankind is without a doubt the single underlying reason as to why history occurred like it did. This is really hard for students to understand because they seem to have been taught a much different concept prior to taking a geography course. Only by explaining the human-environment interaction do students begin to realize that geography caused man to make decisions which would reverberate for millennia. The people of the Middle East followed the Tigris and Euphrates rivers northwest into Anatolia and out of the desert. Man’s movement west, north, and south with the crops and animals of the Middle East were shaped by geographical barriers. Diamond points out how man overcame these barriers over time. The civilization that was able to do so developed greater technologies than others. He points to both European and Chinese naval developments in this regard. China’s need to continue to build its naval forces was negligible due to a lack of naval enemies while in Europe those enemies were often themselves as nations competed for resources and trade. Since China controlled all of its trade which was mostly internal or land based, its need for a navy was reduced. Europe surged ahead while China languished. In my classes I point to the barriers as we explore the world’s regions. I show how these barriers played such big roles. We play a board game by Avalon Hill that helps to illustrate this as well. Diamond’s book plays a big role in my class and so do his theories. I find it really helps students take the principles and ideas from the first part of the class and begin to apply them to the world regions we study. They are able to make the mental leap to the realization that the people of the world are different for many reasons, the foremost being the place in which they live more than anything else. It helps them to break down and discard the erroneous belief which many of them have regarding their place in the world. Using Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel I am able to use Transformative Learning Theory to overcome the disorientating dilemma they find themselves in at the beginning of class. I could build a new class out of Diamond’s book that encompasses geography, history, and sociology if my school would let me. In fact, I could build two classes out of it. One would focus on why Western Civilization developed like it did and expanded to the Americas while the second one would focus on the development of Eastern Civilization and its failure to expand beyond Asia itself. While courses exist that dive into those ideas, they are built around history more than anything else. Few instructors use environmental determinism in explaining how early mankind developed in the places it did. The ultimate objectives of these courses would be why they developed like they did, not just their history. Diamond has written several other books such as Collapse, The Third Chimpanzee, and The World Until Yesterday. He is Professor of Geography at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has been awarded all kinds of prizes and awards for his research and work in multiple fields. I find it interesting that he began to study environmental history in his fifties which led to this book and many others. This to me is proof that you are not bound by formal rules regarding your education, but rather by using your interests coupled with the research capabilities your education has provided you new careers beckon. This book is a testament to following one’s interests and using one’s intellect. I highly recommend it to all readers. It is one of my favorite books and I have read through it multiple times.

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Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2015