“Much of human history has consisted of unequal conflicts between the haves and the have-nots.”

“History as well as life itself is complicated -- neither life nor history is an enterprise for those who seek simplicity and consistency.”

“...neither life nor history is an enterprise for those who seek simplicity and consistency.”

“For anyone inclined to caricature environmental history as 'environmental determinism,' the contrasting histories of the Dominican Republic and Haiti provide a useful antidote. Yes, environmental problems do constrain human societies, but the societies' responses also make a difference.”

“Why you white man have so much cargo and we New Guineans have so little? (asked Yali)”

“The history of interactions among disparate peoples is what shaped the modern world through conquest, epidemics and genocide. Those collisions created reverberations that have still not died down after many centuries, and that are actively continuing in some of the world's most troubled areas.”

“Two types of choices seem to me to have been crucial in tipping the outcomes [of the various societies' histories] towards success or failure: long-term planning and willingness to reconsider core values. On reflection we can also recognize the crucial role of these same two choices for the outcomes of our individual lives.”