Interesting book, demands more researchMarch 10, 2006 12 out of 14 found this review helpful
This is the second Hancock book that I have read (Message of the Sphinx was the other), and I liked this one a lot better, though both are good. In this book, Hancock presents the case for an unidentified, very advanced civilization which passed its legacy on to the Egyptians and South/Central American peoples. He has no shortage of evidences, and while some of them are less than convincing, many seem unexplanable in the traditional explanation of man's history.
Some parts are taken a bit too far (for example, he seems to buy into the Mayan's claim that the earth will experience a huge cataclysmic event in 2012), and there are some logical leaps, but there are also many, many things he brings forth which are rather convincing. I have noticed that when people criticize this book they focus on those few bad sections and present no argument against the many good sections Hancock has. Until someone qualified steps forward and attempts to refute Hancock's claims (I have yet to see anyone other than a few laymen on their websites do so), I will have to assume that they have nothing to refute him with, since it has been over a decade since many of his theories were brought forth, and nearly a half-century since Hamlet's Mill (another book along the same lines) was released, and to the best of my knoledge, there has not been anything substantial written to refute their claims.
If you're looking for an interesting read, this is an amazing book. All kinds of things are in here which will make you really think about humanity's history. There are so many interesting facts that he presents in his compelling case, it is hard to process them all. I decided to take notes in a notebook for the other book I had read by him and ended up with 20 pages or so of notes. I took one glance at this book and realized that if I took notes on it, it would take weeks to read because there would be so much to write down.
Overall grade: A
ExcellentFebruary 25, 2006 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
A must for every one ! Once you start reading you can not stop anymore !
Very Interesting indeed.February 24, 2006 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Since I work at a library I always have access to plenty of interesting books. So I guess it should come as no suprise that I stumbled upon this at work one day. I become even luckier when I found a copy for sale in our book sale. This book is very interesting to say the least. It brings up the theory that mankind's developement wasn't linear, but cycilical. It boldy proposes that at the dawn of the last ice age mankind was in a golden period of wisdom and technological advances but was nearly wiped out and the suriviors left clues around the globe. This book brings up some interesting points that leave you wondering if maybe this could be real. For the most part this book is well written except sometimes Hanncock seems to repeat himself like a brokenrecord and sometimes he spends time attacking his detractors, which by the end of the book almost had me laughing. I wish there were more maps and pictures eventhough there are plenty but sometimes when it would be most helpful to have a picture or diagram/map there is none. Overall an enjoyable and interesting read; I wouldn't pay the $75 for it though. Either get the softback or check it out from a libray.
ALTERNATIVE HISTORYFebruary 17, 2006 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
There is no such thing as alternative history, to which some scholars alude. There is only the history that we have been taught and the history that actually existed. Graham does a masterful job of reexaming the evidences of our past and resifts the sands of time, so to speak, in order to examine evidence for past civilizations on our planet. He is both knowledgable and believable in his assertions about the root origins of human kind. I believe it is essential to question "commonly known" history in order to arrive closer to true fact. Thanks to schollars like Graham Hancock, we now have an option. This book is a very good read.
Excellent!January 17, 2006 3 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is the best book that I've read in a long long time. It makes you think and wonder about a lot of things. Great work.
