Contrived fantasy
First let me state that this book should truly be classified as fiction. Starting with this mentality, one can appreciate Hancock's creativity and style and rate this as a readable and somewhat interesting novel. The star I give this book is due to it fictional qualities. However, this book is not categorized by fiction but as nonfiction; Hancock appears to believe what he is writing, and he goes even to the extreme of implying this writing is something of a scientific study. In beginning this book I was amazed at the maps that Hancock had unearthed showing geography the authors of the maps should have had no knowledge of. Why had I never heard of these maps before? As Hancock continued developing his theory that there was a lost yet wonderful civilization on Antarctica many millennia ago, I started to become more sceptical. While Hancock deserves credit developing such an unestablished idea, even he can not get around the fact that there is no real evidence. His string of logic starts fraying quite soon. At the point Hancock invoked a one line quote from Einstein a second time in minor support of his theory, I began looking for problems. It wasn't hard. First, the geological theories Hancock invokes to explain how Antarctica slipped across the ocean in a couple thousand years are hogwash. Even a basic knowledge of geology and a little common sense can tell you this. Second, after realising he has nothing tangible besides the maps, Hancock begins invoking similarities between legends around the world as proof for his antique culture. I am afraid that stretching the analysis of myth does not constitute the scientific method. So how about those maps that our old lost culture made. Hancock claims that all these people from MIT and the military find 20, 40, whatever, a 100 similarities between the maps and the real geography of sub-glacial Antarctica. However, I know this is tough as it was tough for myself as well, in actually comparing the maps yourself, you will find very little similarity. In essence, Hancock has made this all up. He has nicely packaged pieces of pseudoscience over the past fifty years into a gripping lie. If you don't believe me, spend about ten minutes looking up peoples responses to this book on the net. In getting past the group that believes this a cool conversation piece, you will find many pieces dismantling his work. At the end there is nothing left. For every scientific 'fact' Hancock has backing his theory, there is an army of tested theories discounting this fact to nothingness. At last I will try aiming a blow at Hancock himself. Through out the book he presents himself as a modest man working against the prejudices of time, piecing together a puzzle long lost. He presents himself as being there for our benefit to bring us the truths of the world. Yet, in the 30 minutes of effort I spent (time better spent then reading the last chapters I believe), I came up with a variety of theories discounting his. In his self proclaimed years of research how has he not come across these theories? If he can find an obscure reference to a plate tectonic theory from the 60's, why can't he spend a couple minutes reading today's best thoughts? By the end of my reading I am sorry to say that my humour at reading a work of innocent fiction dissolved in the impression I was encountering a con man. There can be no other conclusion reached about Hancock's book than it is baloney. The only value I see in it is to make kids read it to improve their critical reasoning. When they recognized the truth, they would be given a few stars for their success. As for Hancock, he only gets one star.
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Overview
Could the story of mankind be far older than we have previously believed? Using tools as varied as archaeo-astronomy, geology, and computer analysis of ancient myths. Graham Hancock presents a compelling case to suggest that it is.In Fingerprints of the Gods, Hancock embarks on a worldwide quest to put together all the pieces of the vast and fascinating jigsaw of mankind's hidden past. In ancient monuments as far apart as Egypt's Great Sphinx, the strange Andean ruins of Tiahuanaco, and Mexico's awe-inspiring Temples of the Sun and Moon, he reveals not only the clear fingerprints of an as-yet-unidentified civilization of remote antiquity, but...