8. Do you agree with Jared Diamond when he says of a civilizations ability to gain power, wealth, and strength, “…what’s far more important is the hand that people have been dealt, the raw materials they’ve had at their disposal.” Why or why not?

This question calls for your opinion. In my opinion, Diamond is accurate to a certain degree. Natural resources and raw materials certainly impact a civilization's ability to achieve all of these things. None-the-less, it is also important for a civilization to aquire the knowledge necessary to utilize what they have to work with.... to create things of an interest to a civilization outside of their own.