I’ve been listening to a bunch of, well, I’m not sure what you’d call them. History, archeology, anthropology? Podcasts. That’s what I’ve been listening to [1]. Anything that’s not about today.
And what I’ve learnt, from people who seem to be knowledgeable experts in their fields, is that all that time I spend reading Jared Diamond was a total waste. Basically he just made up Just-So stories, unsupported by much, if any, actual boots-on-the-ground research, and was completely off the rails. Collapse. Guns, Germs, and Steel. Basically not even supported by research that was current at the time.
[1] Also audiobooks. Ian McKellen should do more of these. The Odyssey was meant to be listened to, read by someone like Mr. McKellen. I’d listen to him read the proverbial phone book, if phone books still existed. The Yellow Pages doesn’t even bother to piss me off by delivering them anymore despite my ticking that box.