Alfred Crosby's Ecological Imperialism describes the expansion of Europeans throughout the world. Crosby explains the relationship between European organisms and the conquest of non-native lands, diseases, flora, fauna, and animals all playing a role in the rapid expansion of peoples from Europe to the New Worlds. Traditionally it has been assumed that the outward expansion of Europeans was due to their superior technology, weapons, or even religion. While this gave them a great advantage, it was what they brought with them that sealed the fate of millions of indigenous people, plants and animals. The advantages that Europeans had were due in part to where they came from. The breakup of Pangea and continental drift ensured that some areas of the globe were isolated and had relatively small populations. From the breakup of Pangea until Europeans began sailing across the world's oceans, the Americas and Australia developed in complete isolation. Europeans and their Eurasian counterparts also had their Neolithic revolution long before the indigenous peoples of the New World. And as Crosby states, “The Amerindians and Aborigines were late to the full Neolithic revolution, for whatever reason, and suffered for it.” This late start put them at a severe disadvantage when the white scouts finally arrived. The Neolithic Revolution, although fantastic, did one thing that would change the course of history, it was at the center of the domination of humans over everything else. As the author explains, "The Neolithic revolution of the Old World, for all its dazzling advantages in metallurgy, the arts, writing, politics, and city life, was at its core a matter of direct control and exploitation of many species for the... ... middle of paper ...... ngaea in search of more resources and wealth. The divergent landscapes caused by the breakup of Pangea were then homogenized by the plants and animals that these new explorers brought with them. Crosby goes into great and often excessive detail about how and why this diffusion occurred, and where it was successful and where it was not. He makes a clear distinction between colonization and assimilation, colonization in more temperate zones and assimilation in more hostile climates such as the tropics. How sometimes those who seek to conquer are often overwhelmed by the same pathogens that have ensured their success in other parts of the globe. In human history we often forget that, while we may be the architects of a plan, it is often those little things , like pathogens, to constitute the reasons for our successes and failures..