Let the neighbors help raise your kids. Let seniors take part. Invest the way a farmer plants. These are some of the wisdoms offered in Jared Diamond's new book. It joins a series of general-audience readings of history and society in which Diamond rethinks what it means to be human. Some non-fans get irritated by his approach. Marilyn Silberfein, emeritus professor of geography and urban studies at Temple said, "More academics should write, as he does, for the larger public. It's edifying and stimulating to write across broad areas. At least it gets people thinking in new ways."