1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

eye opening

I felt motivated to write this review after seeing some of the other reviewers comment on very odd things. This book was eye opening for me. I couldn't put it down--which says something. And it changed the way I think about the history of the Americas and the world. Regarding the person who claims that Mann criticizes environmentalists--nothing could be further from the truth. I am an ardent conservationist and am quoting Mann in my master's thesis. He discusses some very central controversies in conservation. For the person who was so outraged by the idea that some native peoples prefer to be called Indians--actually some do. And this may be more relevant in Spanish. While indio is an insult in some countries, there are native people in Colombia who refer to themselves as indios. I wasn't sure where the rage was coming from, but Mann was not incorrect. In addition, I would have to go back to the book, but I didn't interpret his portrayal of Holmberg as insulting. I thought that Mann actually spoke quite highly of him. There is much to like in this book, and maybe the fact that it can stir up so much controversy is part of that.

9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

Still Reading ...

Wonderfully explained and organized. The wealth of data is amazing and the unbiasedness is welcomed.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

A dense, interesting, history-packed book with a refreshing view of the Americas before Columbus.

This was an interesting book, full of information I had never seen or heard before. The author writes very clearly and is easy to understand. Occasionally, the sections were so dense with information that I became a little lost and confused--I found it hard to keep up with all the Indian names--but other than that I enjoyed it.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Food for thought...

I have always thought the traditional history taught in schools is incorrect and lacking. But I don't think this book provides all the answers. I think Mann assumes quite a bit in some of his arguements and makes some claims that seem to be a stretch at best. But this is a good book and I think anyone interested in history should read it, just keep an open mind on some of the claims. Just because it is in a book does not make it true.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Half this book is just dandy!

The rest, sadly, seems to be overly-PC journalistic obiter dicta one wonders if this chap was being paid by the word. Still, the current -- well, I suppose, science, if one can really call cultural anthropology any such thing -- is nicely summarized and the changes from the stuff that was 'official' and which has been suspect since the days of Franz Boas, is shown to be even more uncertain at best. The book drives yet another nail in the Smithsonian's ethnological coffin -- a good thing. A fascinating read, in any case.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Mann's Mistake

Allan Holmberg - to whom Charles Mann attributes 'Holmberg's Mistake' - never argued anything to the effect of what Mann claims in his work on Bolivia. His dissertation at Yale, published as 'Nomads of the Long Bow' by the Smithsonian, was on the effects of hunger on forest dwellers who lived in fragmented groups due to historical contingencies. That Charles Mann elected to name a chapter of his book, 1491, ¿Holmberg¿s Mistake¿ shows nothing but that Mann never read the book. Holmberg, to the extent that his work addresses historical or archaeological questions at all, argues quite transparently that the Siriono were an ¿anomaly¿ and likely a ¿remnant of an ancient population that was exterminated, absorbed, or engulfed by more civilized invaders.¿ The mistake here is all Mann¿s. I would not argue that Mann's overall argument is incorrect but it is odd that he attempts to destroy the reputation of someone who never held the ideas attributed to him. Mann's representation approaches the unethical.

2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Footnotes are not displayed in text - huge problem for critical reader

I found this book to be a very interesting read - particularly from the perspective of a biologist and professional conservationist. However one thing about the Nook e-version totally ticked me off. The notes, very important references to sources for some pretty controversial material, were NOT displayed in the text. That made it impossible to read, and as you go along, consider validity of the author's positions relative to the sources he felt supported them. There were references to some interesting Appendices made in the text, and there were asterisks linked to brief explanations included at the end of each chapter, but none of the text included reference notes. They were there, following page 410, seventy-eight pages of them, and you could link from them to the text page they were associated with, but not the line or statement there. Regardless, once at the end, to go back and try to integrate references into your thinking just doesn't work. If I were the author I'd be furious. As it is I just feel ripped off. B&A must do better than this!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent Synthesis

The author does an excellent job of bringing together various histories of the Americas to show that the "New World" simply was not what we have traditionally been taught.
I would like to see him or someone else now do a similarly heavily-mass-marketed work on the growing body of archaeological, historical and epigraphical evidence which suggests that the Americas were, in fact, explored by Europeans and others long before Columbus.
Unfortuntely, heretofore this subject has been deemed by mainstream academia to be the realm of quackery. This is a tragedy and is based more on mainstream academia's instinct of self-preservation than any search for the truth.
In any event, perhaps 1491 will one day be seen as an opening salvo in the effort to bring such questions to the forefront of scholarship. After all, it is not just that, as Mann points out, Native Americans's societies were far more complex and larger than traditionally thought, they were also very likely far more akin to what we would today call "multicultural", as well.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Superbly written

Who were the first people on North and South America and how did they arrive here? A subject some don't care about but for us who do, its truly a mystery. The author chose a subject knowing how many would disagree with him but he came through with material to back his ideas up. Its interesting in that we can use this to save ourselves from destruction since so many before us did the same things were doing and didn't learn. To save our planet from our own wrath and be the ones who can at least say we learned from the past. What civilization will come next if we don't learn now? This is what our children have to look forward to.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

WOW

One would think that reading about so many stats would just put one to sleep, BUT it did just the opposite for me. To understand the advanced societies in the Americas for so many centuries before the arrival of European virus just boggled my mind. If you have any interest in our past this is a must read. Until this book my perspective of pre-Columbus America was the European version.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

crashingly disappointing

I had high hopes for Mann's interpretation especially reading this after Philbrick's Mayflower. With the exception of Part One, 90% of the book relates to South and Central America, and it almost reads as a topographical history or South America. I was 'expecting' more insight into Columbus and the North American tribes and their history, but I think people are getting caught up in the story. I found myself skipping chapters something I never do (well, there was a chapter on tortilla making).

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I feel fortunate about the information Mann put toghether in this book

I'm impressed with the information in this book. I feel very fortunate Charles C. Mann put toghether this information. There's one thing I strongly disagree with Mann on this book-his claim that some Natives prefer to be called Indian instead of 'Native Americans' is at most a 'stupidaggine' 'absurdity' as the that name was concocted by ignorance! The very ignorance of Christoforo Colombo or 'Cristobal Colon' who thought he had landed in India. Why do we continue to perpetuate ignorance is unknown to me. Unless, of course, immigrants from other lands now want to claim the title for themselves! I'm sure it wouldn't matter now, they took everything else already from Native Peoples... I was amazed when I watched an interview with Dick Wolf by Tavis Smiley show, on PBS, He claims the Smithsonian as a source for Political correctness and the term Indian for 'Native American'. He surely jumped quicker than flees onto the back side of a quaking duck with American Indian. That name was concocted by ignorance, the very ignorance of Christoforo Colombo or 'Cristobal Colon' who thought he had landed in India. The fact that some Native American tribes 'which does NOT mean tribes in the US/Canada-but the Americas' call themselves American Indian, is part of the same filth Ale¿ Hrdlièka and the Smithsonian spoused and actively carried out in hopes to keep out the great nations that existed and that had created a much more advanced systems, cities, than in Europe and other places by the 14 century! In fact, they were so advanced in mathematics, for example, the first culture to use zero where the Native Americans, in the South of Mexico, Guatemala, throughout Central America and South America! I¿m sure he will claim Native American for him now! The Americas, or the land of the early light, as Native Americans called these lands, was the last to be discovered and we have just started to learn about the GRAND cultures that existed here, before the Spaniars ravaged the land and its people in 1492. And then, almost 2 centuries later, came the Britons 'pilgrims' who did more damaged to Native Peoples in less than 100 years, than the Spaniards did in over 400 years. The Spaniards intermerried with the Natives, the Britons killed most of them, or uprooted them from their land to inhospitable lands, far away from their homes.

1 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

A Good Book

If you like real history, this book is an excellent choice. While it drags a bit in places, the details add to the value of the book. I found it a real eye-opener about the life of Native Americans before the Europeans arrived. The little anecdotes (historically accurate) added much to the knowledge gained. For example, in the 1300's many Europeans had NEVER had a bath! The Indians could smell them before they saw them! Lots of other good stuff here. Again, it does drag along in places but overall, a great read.

Fanastic

Definately well written. Mann does a great job of keeping your attention and if great book for those historians out there. The book contains a wealth of knowledge of multiple subjects. Great read! Im looking into his other works already!

F

Name: Goldenflower

Rank: hopes to be deputy

Gender: she-cat

Description: a pale ginger she-cat, with green eyes and white paws

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Excellent, entertaining and educational

Well written and well researched book. It updated me on current trends in New World history, archaeology, and anthropology. Mr. Mann's deft weaving of these disciplines give a clear picture of what pre-Columbian Americas really were like- not what you were taught in school!

I found this book to be extremely interesting. I love anthropolo

I found this book to be extremely interesting. I love anthropology, and learning about pre-Columbian civilizations ranks up there with Football and drinking beer. This is written for a mass audience, so it doesn't get overly technical. I would recommend this to anyone interested in anthropology or native civilizations.

Good writing but very sad

"1491" was the story we all know about, but much, much more.
What the Christian white man has done in the search for "Gold, Glory & God" was so ruinous & cruel it is very depressing. Just a few men brought on the ruin of the Native American, & then complete destruction of an entire culture by the rest of the emmigrants. It makes me ashamed.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

New point of view for me

A quite readable high-level account of pre-Columbian civilizations of the western hemisphere from the point of view of the peoples whom the European explorers encountered. Mann busts several myths promulgated by the Eurocentric and the politically correct, raising interesting questions and offering feasible theories. This book replaces caricature with believable people. Great read. Looking forward to 1493 next.

Ehh

The book was ok not the best i ever read

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.