Jared Diamond is back. Since Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse were published a generation ago, Diamond has been synonymous with sweeping explanations for complex historical problems.

His latest book, Profits, Prophets, Coaches and Kings: (When) Do Leaders Matter? tackles another ambitious question: when do leaders make a difference?

Diamond assembles examples from politics, business, sport and religion. The result is an accessible, highly readable book.

Review: Profits, Prophets, Coaches and Kings: (When) Do Leaders Matter? – Jared Diamond (Penguin Books)

The book is strongest when it explores leadership as a relationship between individuals and circumstances. Diamond avoids the extremes of either “great man” theory (about history being shaped by exceptional individuals) or structural determinism (all about systems, with individual talent or effort playing a lesser role).

Instead, he argues a middle position: leaders do matter, but only under particular conditions.

Another key attraction in this book is its range. Beyond obvious figures, such as British wartime leader Winston Churchill, Diamond introduces readers to an eclectic cast of world leaders.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s ability to weave different examples into a compelling narrative remains one of his greatest strengths.

Historians like me may have some quibbles with Diamond’s approach. But this book is not written for them. Instead, it’s designed to encourage further exploration about history and society – and on that front, it succeeds.

The problem with Diamond’s ‘Hamlet........

© The Conversation