World Prehistory: A Brief Introduction

Book Description

Written by one of the leading archaeological writers in the world—in a simple, jargon-free narrative style—this brief, well-illustrated account of the major developments in the human past (from the origins of humanity to the origins of literate civilization) makes world prehistory uniquely accessible to complete beginners. Up-to-date and state-of-the-art in content and perspective, it covers the entire world (not just the Americas or Europe), placing major emphasis on both theories and the latest archaeological and multidisciplinary approaches. The main focus is on four major developments—the origins of humanity; the appearance and spread of modern humans before and during the late Ice Age, including the first settlement of the Americas; the beginnings of food production; and the rise of the first civilizations. For individuals who want to get acquainted with anthropology.

Customer Reviews:

Man's origins and developments for the general reader.......2003-04-02

Man's innate curiosity with their past has given birth to sciences that attempt to satisfy such curiosity. Brian Fagan, an archaeologist himself, outlines brilliantly the major developments of humankind in prehistory, from that scientific perspective. Sophisticated theories and tools from disciplines such archaeology, biology, ecology, geology and even genetics and psychology are elaborated for the general reader. Utilising such diversity of disciplines, World Prehistory introduces to the reader, the developments of humankind- the origins, exodus and migration of man, food production and state formation- from the earliest times especially before written records were available.

Even before Fagan gets into details, he outlines the scope of the book and distinguishes the discipline of archaeology insofar as it is scientific, rigorous and it utilises tools and expertise from other disciplines. Throughout the book, there are scientific archaeological explanations in the form of theories, data and methodologies and at the very onset, the author derides the "romantic world of high adventure and exciting discovery" connected to pseudoarcheaology, which to him belongs to the "realms of religious faith and science fiction".

The book is divided into 4 parts in a generally chronological arrangement. The first part introduces to the reader the study of human prehistory with succinct explanations of the concepts of history, culture, space and time. Part 2 outlines scientific approaches to explain the origins of mankind and his relationships with other primates. The author draws evidence from geology, genetics and most importantly, paleoanthropology (the specialized study of human bone remains). Part 2 also presents one of the most controversial questions in anthropology, that is the path of migration of modern man. The author favours the "African exodus Theory"" and describes it in detail. Part 3 is a discussion of the birth of the modern world with special emphasis on the origins of food production, one of the hallmarks of ancient civilisations. The book culminates in Part 4, with very broad discussions on ancient civilisations in Western Asia, Africa, South, Southeast and East Asia and the Americas.

As an introductory book to world prehistory, it lacks detailed study of other aspects of prehistoric mankind's developments especially in the fields of language, religion and a new, exciting and only recently explored field of psychological archaeology, dealing with the minds and thinking of the earliest humans. The latter, the author concedes, must go beyond material remains and develop new ways to explore the minds of the earliest humans and understand why they developed the way they did.

However, as with most introductory books, World Prehistory can only describe its subject matter at surface level. However, after reading the book, I have obtained a general sense of the methods and theories that attempt to explain with the period of human history which was not recorded in writing. With so many theories, methods and even non-scientific explanations of mankind's ancient past, World Prehistory is a good book to introduce a reader to the latest and most widely accepted tools, methodologies and theories.

A very decent book.......2000-04-30

This book is not designed for the hardcore anthropology student as it doesn't delve into the extreme details of the subject, but it does give a very broad overview of the millions of years of human prehistory. Most of the time is spent talking about the journey from ape-like ancestors to the origin of food production and the large state-run societies that we have today. Therefore, when Fagan talks about specific cultures and societies he just gives an overview, he chooses to put most details to use describing why and how humans got to where they are today. Very good book is you want an effective and interesting introduction to human origins, but this isn't something that would be used for a 300 or 400 level class.

The Paleo Diet for Athletes: A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance

Average customer rating:

Cordain sold out his diet to Joe Friel
"A great diet and exercise book not just for paleolithic
Wow! Opened my eyes.
Great athlete guide to nutrition
A Key Nutrition Resource

The Paleo Diet for Athletes: A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance
Loren Cordain , and Joe Friel
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Food You Were Designed to Eat
Training and Racing with a Power Meter
Going Long: Training for Ironman-Distance Triathlons (Ultrafit Multisport Training Series)
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The Triathlete's Training Bible (2nd Edition)

Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 1594860890
Release Date: 2005-10-13

Book Description

Loren Cordain, Ph.D., follows his success of The Paleo Diet with the first book ever to detail the exercise-enhancing effects of a diet similar to that of our Stone Age ancestors When The Paleo Diet was published, advocating a return to the diet of our ancestors (high protein, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables), the book received brilliant reviews from the medical and nutritional communities. Jennie Brand-Miller, coauthor of the bestselling Glucose Revolution, called it 'without a doubt the most nutritious diet on the planet.' Doctors Michael and Mary Dan Eades, authors of Protein Power, said, 'We can't recommend The Paleo Diet highly enough.'

Customer Reviews:

Cordain sold out his diet to Joe Friel.......2007-08-27

Two stars for the Paleo Diet but Zero stars for the "modifications."

I was severely disappointed with this book. I hoped that an athlete would adopt the diet and adapt his training to the demands of the sound science that Dr. Cordain authored with his Paleo Diet. Instead, we have an athlete who has basically adapted the Paleo Diet to the high carbohydrate nonsense that permeates the "endurance world", which leads to good results, but bad health. How many of our great athletes have to continue sacrificing their long-term health for short term goals?

Recovery is not a good enough reason to "adapt" and modify the diet. The goal of training is to race, not more training. I don't think enough athletes understand that. There is a large section in this book about overtraining, but the authors "overcome" this seeming limitation ironically with the very thing that the Paleo Diet attempts to cure us from - - a misplaced reliance on excessive glucose which is responsible for the majority of the maladies that currently afflict us.

"Periodization" is also a problem. I'll leave you this quote by Olympian Gordon Pirie which accurately details the issue:

"Another popular aspect of training which I think is very dangerous is that known as "periodization" - that is, breaking down the training year into various "phases", each of which is divorced from the others. Thus, the beginning of the year may be devoted to a slow distance "build-up", the second portion of the year devoted to hill training, a third part devoted to interval work and then speed training, and finally (though most of these runners never get this far) a racing season undertaken. The difficulty with training in this manner is that you go along quite well with one aspect of training (e.g. long distance running), and then suddenly, on a certain day, "Bang!". You start hill-bounding, or speed-training, or something new, and the body simply is not ready for the change, and invariably, year in and year out, you are more often than not injured. The body should be trained in all aspects of running, all of the time. Only the emphasis should change as you progress through the year; no aspect of training should be entirely given up for any significant length of time. The balance between different types of training (distance running, intervals, hill running and speed training) should be adjusted as the year progresses" Pirie, "Running Fast and Injury Free", Page 86.

This balance can be achieved with adequate rest. When an athlete gives up his dependance on sugar, he will find that he has much more strength and steady energy reserves. Sure, you don't recover as quickly, but this is an indication that training is too hard, and one needs to adjust this training in order to successfully make it to the starting line. The science by Phinney and others clearly demonstrates that athletes, when given sufficient time to adapt to fat burning, were able to repeat their athletic performance. Frequency was a problem, but again, the goal of training is to race, not more training.

I'm disappointed that Dr. Cordain could not find an athlete willing to test his theories with sound and intelligent training, rather than the usual carb-load glucose-laden mess we've been stuck with. There are many low carb runners and cyclists out there who address the issues covered in this book far more intelligently and in a way that does not compromise their long term health as this approach potentially does.

"A great diet and exercise book not just for paleolithic.......2007-08-06

Highly informative for all athletes and people wanting to exercise on a regular basis.

Basically it teaches you what, when and how to eat your food so that you get the maximun performance. It also has specific advice on fluids. If you are planning to do regular execise, this is a highly recommended book, even if you are not planning to follow the paleo diet strictly.

Wow! Opened my eyes........2007-07-12

This book is packed with some very useful information. I would have given it five stars, but I don't have the knowledge to thoroughly evaluate all the statements made in this book and I feel like there are probably some important points that are being left out. Nonetheless, it has made me aware of some very important and little understood issues relating to performance and diet. As a result of reading this book, I am much better informed and I will definitely be better able to understand additional material relating to nutrition and health.

I have read other books by Joe Friel, and I find that the incorporation of performance related principles from his other books is consistent and very helpful.

Great athlete guide to nutrition.......2007-05-24

This book has really helped me in my quest for iron distance triathlons. The times to eat and the types of foods are very helpful for recovery from exercise. Joe Friel's scientific approach to nutrition is extremely well informed. I have used his techniques and had great results. I highly suggest this book to anyone who wants to increase their fitness level.

A Key Nutrition Resource.......2007-04-09

These nutritional strategies will help you fuel your body to keep it going longer as you work to build up your endurance.

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #3: Soul Eater (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness)

Average customer rating:

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness
In the great forests of ancient times, Torak and his friend, Renn, once again hunt.
A considerable improvement.
Great series.
Great Companion Book for the Series

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #3: Soul Eater (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness)
Michelle Paver
Manufacturer: Katherine Tegen Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #2: Spirit Walker (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness)
Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #2: Spirit Walker (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness)
Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #1: Wolf Brother (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness)
The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)
Gregor and the Code of Claw (Underland Chronicles, Book 5)

ASIN: 0060728310
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Book Description

It's winter, and Wolf, Torak's beloved pack-brother, has been captured by an unknown foe. In a desperate bid to rescue him, Torak and Renn must brave the frozen wilderness of the Far North.

As they battle for survival amid howling blizzards and the ever-present menace of the great white bear, their friendship is tested to the breaking point, and Torak is forced to get closer to his enemies than ever before. . . .

Soul Eater is a haunting story of loyalty and loss, a chilling portrayal of the nature of evil, and the next step in the perilous journey that began with Wolf Brother and Spirit Walker.

Customer Reviews:

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness.......2007-07-09

I purchased this book for my son who is 13 years old and has never been interested in reading books. I homeschool my son and I purchased the first book in this series "Wolf Brother" for him to read for school. What a GREAT FIND! He loved the book and asked for the next two in the series. My daughter and I have read the series also. We can't wait for book #4 to come out. This series has very high energy, lots of action and it is an interesting read.

In the great forests of ancient times, Torak and his friend, Renn, once again hunt........2007-06-05

In the great forests of ancient times, Torak and his friend, Renn, once again hunt. With them is the giant wolf dog who is never far from Torak's side. Everything seems normal to them until Torak comes across the feather of the fierce eagle owl, which is a bad omen. Though Torak throws it away, the hunt is spoiled when a giant eagle owl swoops from the tree tops and scares their prey away. Then, unexpectedly, Wolf darts away as if in pursuit of new prey. Though they try to follow, he easily out-distances them.

After some debate they decide to continue their hunt for Wolf and not go back to their Raven tribe. Little do they know what this decision will mean as they struggle deeper and deeper into uncharted, frozen lands. This is the beginning of the end for Torak and Renn.

In the meantime, Wolf has fallen into a trap set by the dreaded Soul Eaters; he has been beaten, drugged and caged. The Soul Eaters are in the process of gathering the fiercest animal hunters to sacrifice. It is the strength of these hunters that will help make the Soul Eaters the strongest tribe. They are power hungry, evil and reek of rotting flesh as they move forward with their evil plan.

Without the help of the White Fox Clan, Torak and Renn might have perished. When attacked by the winter bear, it is Fox Clan member Inuktiluk who helps them and takes them to the frozen river so they can attempt to cross into the dangerous unknown. But even in their worst dreams, they have no idea how horrible it will be when at last they find the beloved animal.

...The tip of Wolf's bushy silver tail was matted with dried blood: but it wasn't that which turned [Torak] ill with fear. It was the slimy greenish-black flesh which showed through in patches. Flesh which stank of rottenness.

"It's the blackening sickness," said Renn. "It's poisoning him. The worms of sickness are eating him up from inside."

Once again, Michelle Paver has created a magical world in which good and evil are constantly at war. Torak and Renn are more fully realized as their characters mature and endure harrowing experiences. Paver's writing is fluid and strong, capturing the language, landscape and personalities of this ancient time. Readers of the first two installments of the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series will be thrilled with this story --- probably the most powerful book yet.

--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts

A considerable improvement........2007-04-20

I enjoyed Wolf Brother but hated Spirit Walker and I was weary that this entry in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series was going to be just as meandering and slow. Fortunately it's not and it's just as good as the first book.

Wolf is kidnapped by the evil Soul Eaters so Torak and Renn must chase after them into The Far North to rescue him. Their chase brings them to the Eye of the Viper, a cave deep, deep in a mountain where the Soul Eaters have made their lair and intend to sacrifice 9 hunters to unleash demon hoardes under their control upon the world.

The mythology is getting a tad out of hand though. I don't know whether these forest people simply don't understand science and physics and mistake everything for fate, miracles and magic or if it's just their ancient point of view trying to make sense of it. That complaint aside, it's a good book that you'll not want to put down until you've finished it. It's way more fast moving than Spirit Walker and brings the COAD series back on track.

Great series........2007-04-07

It was a cool book. I like how it took place on a icy snowy mountain. Can't wait for the fourth book to come out!! This from the mouth of an adventurous 10 year old boy.

Great Companion Book for the Series.......2007-03-20

While this book has many surprising twists and turns, it is enjoyable and fun to read. Once again we follow Torak, Wolf, and Renn viewing them all, from there point of view.
Very mild changes do happen though, such as, Wolf now calls Renn 'The Pack Sister' instead of 'Female Tailess'. And Renn also has a much major role in the book then say in WOLF BROTHER, and also the book switches to her view more.
This is a very enjoyable book and I recomend it to any one from 10-100.

People of the Nightland (First North Americans)

Average customer rating:

Love the series
People of the Nightland
People of the Nightland
superb Paleolithic America thriller
Fascinating look at these native people

People of the Nightland (First North Americans)
W. Michael Gear , and Kathleen O'Neal Gear
Manufacturer: Forge Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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It Dreams in Me
People of the Moon (First North Americans)
It Wakes in Me
People of the Raven (First North Americans)
It Sleeps in Me

ASIN: 0765314401
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Book Description

It has been a thousand years since Wolf Dreamer led his people up through the dark hole in the ice to a rich, untouched continent bursting with game. But the world has changed. Most of the magnificent animals are gone, and the last of the great glaciers is melting, forming a huge freshwater lake in the middle of the world. Over the centuries the People of the Wolf have split into two clans. The People of the Nightland live in the honeycomb of ice caves that skirt the glacier. The People of the Sunpath live inside lodges to the south, hunting the few remaining mammoths, bison, giant sloths, and short-faced bear. When a young orphaned boy named Silvertip receives a vision from Wolf Dreamer that their world is about to end, no one believes himno one except a jaded war chief and a little girl. Led by Silvertips dream, the three of them must convince both clans to leave the land of their ancestors and flee eastward as fast as they can before the Ice Giants destroy the world. This is the sweeping saga of a visionary boy who led his people out of the path of one of the worst catastrophes in the history of the world, and the brave little girl who loved him enough to believe in his dream.

Customer Reviews:

Love the series.......2007-09-10

I really enjoyed this book, as well as the other books in the North American Series by the Gears. I only wish that the Gears next book was already out!

People of the Nightland.......2007-07-07

This latest O'Neil/Gear North American Indian novel does not disappoint me, it has all the great characteristics of the previous books:intrigue, romance, an interesting plot and history. My only criticism is the repetitive use of the fragile, slightly crazy Dreamer, which is ever present in most of the previous series, While a good literary tool, it seems that at least once the hero/Dreamer/Guide could be a strong, stable person. On the whole, though, it was a great story.

People of the Nightland.......2007-06-27

Very exciting and entertaining book. I Enjoy their books very much. Any books to do with American Indians I enjoy. This book is fast reading, easy to understand, you just cannot put it down once you start reading it.

superb Paleolithic America thriller.......2007-03-24

The ice age ended when the glaciers began receding 20,000 years ago. All was normal for the next seven millennia, as the earth warmed and a Great Lake formed from the receding ice near where Wolf Dreamer brought his people to live.

A thousand years have passed since Wolf Dreamer led his followers to the Promised Land, but his clan has split into different sects. The People of the Nightland live on the edge of the ebbing glacier worshipping the god Raven Hunter; the Sunpath People live in pelt lodging to the south while worshiping Wolf Dreamer as their God. With the great animals dying out and the waters threatening to flood both people, hostilities break out between the clans. Raven Hunter dispatches a leader to take his followers through a hole in the ice; Wolf Dreamer transmits dream messages to a child, the orphan Silvertip to take his People east away from the flooding and encroaching Ice Giants while the Nightland fighters want to complete their ethic cleansing before entering their new paradise.

The latest First North American "People" saga is a superb Paleolithic America thriller that provides the audience a glimpse of two competing conflicting lifestyles during the Younger Dryas Interval. Using archeological facts and theories, the authors are in first gear throughout this exhilarating prehistoric saga with seemingly paranormal elements that some might deduce as beliefs driving the two rival clans. Educational yet excitingly entertaining, PEOPLE OF THE NORTHLAND like its Ice Age predecessors (see PEOPLE OF THE WOLF) is a superior chronicle.

Harriet Klausner

Fascinating look at these native people.......2007-03-20

I love this First North Americans series by the Gears, a husband-and-wife team of archeologists and writers. This fourteenth novel, People of the Nightland, is like all previous novels in that it is a stand-alone and readers need not have read any of the other works.

I'm fascinated how the Gears get these stories to work. Without using familiar Indian tribes (like the Sioux, the Ouachita, the Cherokee), the Gears create tribes and bands of Native Americans and give readers a realistic account of these characters as living humans. The details are authentic and leave nothing to stereotypical other Native American-based stories.

In this book, the Indians live in and on the ice glaciers. Two clans, People of the Nightland and People of the Sunpath, have split from their original belief that the glaciers were paradise. One band still clings to the old ways of Wolf Dreamer, who led his people to this untouched paradise over a thousand years ago through a hole in the ice. The land was rich with game. But now the mammoths and other game are in short supply, the glaciers are melting, and the people are becoming desperate. The other band is following Wolf Dreamer's evil twin, Raven, who has supposedly come to the tribal idiot with another vision of Paradise. But who is really controlling Ti-Bash, the Idiot? Is he the new Guide, the new Prophet, who will save his people when the glaciers melt? Who should the people believe?

People of the Nightland is an important story of global warming, trust, vision, and leadership. I had a hard time getting into this book and became confused by the characters. There's a Keresa, Karigi, and a Kakala. There's also Wolf Dreamer and War Chief Windwolf, However, once I could differentiate the characters, the reading experience was rich as a Gear novel always is.

You will learn about glaciers and Indian life in fascinating ways and will ponder our own fate as our remaining glaciers melt. Like all the other Gear books, People of the Nightland, will stay with me and keep me thinking for along time.

Armchair Interviews says: It's a little hard to get into, but if you stick with it, you will be rewarded for your effort.

Patterns in Prehistory: Humankind's First Three Million Years

Average customer rating:

Comprehensive and Well-Written
Good, but not great.

Patterns in Prehistory: Humankind's First Three Million Years
Robert J. Wenke
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Images of the Past
People of the Earth: An Introduction to World Prehistory with CD, 11th Edition
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ASIN: 0195085728

Book Description

Generations after generations have been living and dying on this planet for millions and millions of years. These ancestors have built societies, created cultures, and produced technologies. Yet many questions still remain about our ancestry and what relevance, if any, these past cultures hold for us. Patterns in Prehistory takes an in-depth look at humankind's first three million years. From the origins of early hominids several million years ago to the evolution of the first great states and civilizations, this comprehensive survey of world prehistory also confronts important philosophical issues about the study of the past. The author reflects on the archaeological methods and theories of the 1960s and 70s while reviewing the methodological revisions of the 80s and 90s, relating the archaeological data from hundreds of sites to the great questions of prehistorical change. He focuses on the four great transformations in the history of our genus: the evolution of culture itself; the first appearance of us, Homo Sapiens; the evolution of agriculture; and the first appearances of cultural and social complexity in the form of the great civilizations of antiquity. Thoroughly revised and updated, this fourth edition incorporates the most recent archaeological discoveries and addresses the insights and limitations of the new wave of "post-processual" or "cognitive" archaeology. It incorporates the latest research, particularly the new discoveries in Mesoamerican sites, Peru, southwest Asia, and Egypt, as well as new scholarship and theories on the origins of complex societies. Wenke also places more emphasis on gender, race, ideology, and religion. Ideal for courses in world prehistory and archeology, this new edition has been shortened to be more accessible to students.

Customer Reviews:

Comprehensive and Well-Written.......2002-06-09

I found myself listening to people whine and complain about the detail that Wenke goes into when discussing a topic. As compared to a textbook such as Fagan's 'People of The Earth', 'Patterns in Prehistory' certainly is rather long-winded in some regards. When cramming for a test, it might not be the best, yet I thouroughly enjoyed reading through it. It feels as though you are having a discussion with Mr. Wenke himself, not trudging through the required reading before a lecture. It's the kind of textbook you take with you to a comfortable chair and read leisurely, not one with which you come armed with highliter, expecting helpful 'test terms' and colorful pictures. I'm glad I was able to use this textbook as opposed to Fagan (which I've glanced over). I feel that I have come away with a much better understanding than those who failed to get past the small print and long chapters. And compared to other textbooks, it's a steal pricewise. Mr. Wenke is an excellent writer with an obvious passion for his field, I thank him for a solid read.

Good, but not great........2000-08-18

This is a suitable textbook for an introductory class on world prehistory. Comrehensive in scope, it goesd from australopithecus to the pre-contact in the New World. Wenke's writing is simple and straightforward, so even generalists with no archaeological background will be able to follow easily. The writing is even occasionally enlivened with Wenke's oft-present sardonic wit, although this falls flat a lot of the time. However, the sheer timespan covered by this text prevents it from going into any interesting detail, leaving the surface barely scratched. While easy to read, it's of less use, the further up one goes in the field of archaeology. It's also rather difficult to take notes from, and contains pages of daunting, unbroken texts. Some neat charts to break up the flow would help students. Perhaps because I have gone beyond this level now, I'm an arky snob, but I was less than impressed with this book.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful book

Images of the Past
T. Douglas Price , and Gary Feinman
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Archaeology: Down to Earth, 3rd edition
Discovering Our Past: A Brief Introduction to Archaeology
In the Beginning: An Introduction to Archaeology
Patterns in Prehistory: Humankind's First Three Million Years
Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology

ASIN: 0073405205

Book Description

This well illustrated, full-color, site-by-site survey of prehistory captures the popular interest, excitement, and visual splendor of archaeology as it provides insight into the research, interpretations, and theoretical themes in the field. The new edition maintains the authors' innovative solutions to two central problems of the course: first, the text continues to focus on about 80 sites, giving students less encyclopedic detail but essential coverage of the discoveries that have produced the major insights into prehistory; second, it continues to be organized into essays on sites and concepts, allowing professors complete flexibility in organizing their courses.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful book.......2000-07-05

This is a wonderful book on archaeology from a world wide perspective. Techniques and time periods are well illustrated with examples taken from work done all over the world. Some of the most famous archeological sites are discussed: Olduvai, Zhoukoudien, Sanidar Cave, Jericho, Cahokia, Teotihuacan, Tikal, Moche, Cuzco, Uruk, Giza, An-Yang, Great Zimbabwe, Knossos, and others possibly more familiar to those with other areas of archaeological interest. This would make a lovely addition to the library of those who have more specialized interests but who want to know more about other areas or who enjoy learning new things about archaeology itself. It's definitely a book I'll re-read, and I don't generally do that.

The Origins of the British: A Genetic Detective Story

Average customer rating:

Great Britain as New Euskaria
Difficult, but intermittently rewarding
The Origins of the British: A Genetic Detective Story
Accessible, yet not dumbed down
Great Analysis

The Origins of the British: A Genetic Detective Story
Stephen Oppenheimer
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland
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Trace Your Roots with DNA: Using Genetic Tests to Explore Your Family Tree

ASIN: 0786718900

Book Description

History has long maintained that the Anglo-Saxon overtaking of the Iron Age Celts was the origin of the British people. Celtic Britain reconstructs the peopling of Britain — through a study of genetics, climatology, archaeology, language, culture, and history — and overturns that myth and others. The Anglo-Saxons, who supposedly conquered the Celts, contributed only five to ten percent of the British gene pool. The “Atlantic Celts,” long believed to have migrated to Britain from Central Europe around 300 BC during the Iron Age, can be linked genetically to the people of Basque country. And linguistic evidence suggests that, besides Celtic languages, a Germanic-type language similar to Norse was also spoken in Britain long before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons.

In this groundbreaking study, Stephen Oppenheimer explaines the surprising roots of the present-day cultural identities of the English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh.

Customer Reviews:

Great Britain as New Euskaria.......2007-09-23

An excellent book, like being back in college and taking a fun course with a witty, funny and knowledgeable professor. I appreciated the linear format with thesis backed with evidence approach. As a precaution, just like college, there were many terms and ideas that went over my head, which meant having to do some additional homework to catch up with text, but well worth the detour. To this regard, the appendix and glossary were extremely valuable. I have always been fascinated with the origins of the Basque; why would they be the only non Indo-European, Sub-Saharan or Semitic language in all of Europe and the Mediterranean and why stuck in the middle of Pyrenees? My other linguistic quandry was the lack of celtic words in the English language and the lack of consistency between English and Dutch/German/Danish. Finally the technology catches up with speculative history and paints a different picture of Western Europe. It is human nature to embelish, pander to the audience or just plain preach propaganda. But blood doesn't lie and for me all the pieces of the puzzle came together in Mr. Oppenheimer's book. I have no doubt the thesis will be seminal in the re-writing of British History.

Difficult, but intermittently rewarding.......2007-08-07

Not the place to begin, but this book may reward advanced readers who can handle a popularized but scholarly work on the implications of recent findings in DNA. Earlier readers posting here frequently disparage this book's ponderous prose and its massive array of recondite DNA analyses. After reading more accessible, and considerably shorter (no coincidence!) works on genetics and anthropology by Spencer Wells and Bryan Sykes (for both authors, their two most recent books reviewed by me on Amazon), I felt ready to tackle Oppenheimer's work, despite its difficulty. While the time invested paid off in a better knowledge of the Celtic and British origin debate and the possible influence of Germanic cultural and linguistic influences preceding not only the Anglo-Saxon invasion but the preceding Roman occupation, Oppenheimer while he may be a better scholar than Sykes remains a less entertaining writer. Sykes can popularize his findings in "Blood of the Isles" & "Seven Daughters of Eve." He also can profit from them if you note the enterprise Oxford Genetics. As I commented when reviewing Sykes' "Blood," it remains curious that two geneticists both at Oxford do not even mention the other colleague in hundreds of pages of closely documented and meticulously referenced texts.

This apparent rivalry aside, Oppenheimer acknowledges very late in his text that names given to Rostov or Ian or Helena are merely "aides memoires" for R1B-11 or the like in an alphabet soup of markers all geneticists rely upon. Readers of both Sykes & Oppenheimer sniff disdainfully at this popularization, but surely both scientists and lay people need assistance in imagining "Eve" or "Lucy" or the "Ice Man" to make more personal the findings buried in blood types or bone samples. Oppenheimer carefully explains his reasons for clarifying relationships among these difficult classifications, numbering in the thousands by now. Much explanatory material on genetics here is relegated to appendices and a glossary; while Sykes & Wells integrate more definitions and analogies into their briefer, more readable books, Oppenheimer opts for density.

This can bore a reader. My eyes glazed over in the second hundred pages full of dull genetics. The first hundred, tackling the Celtic origins debate and guardedly based on scholars such as Simon James & Barry Cunliffe, and Iron Age archaeologists such as John Collis, argues a southerly direction into the British Isles for Celtic infusion, not the La Tene Danube-Central European homeland and its overland route for entry into the Isles. Personally, I'd have liked to have Bob Quinn's book "The Atlantean Irish" (reviewed by me) credited for its prescience regarding the Atlantic Celt "fringe" movement that Cunliffe and others have since fought to replace the Continental migration theories of the 19c. This vexed matter alone, building upon the past two decades of Celtic revision, or Celto-skepticism, could fill an entire book easily.

But, I did perk up eventually. This is more a reference book on a variety of unevenly covered but admittedly provocative topics. He writes clearly in places and dully in many others, depending it seems on his diligence vs. his enthusiasm! This is an arduous trek, but you need to weather this if your curiosity's aroused about this intellectual terrain that for the first time geneticists and linguists have entered to do battle over, not to mention archeologists and historians!

Advances in DNA may soon rely on its suggestions, or they may overturn its assumptions. But, Oppenheimer bravely piles all he has amassed for the benefit of science. It may be too clunky and over-ambitious, but he has done specialized researchers, armchair genealogists, and academics like myself needing a non-technical explanation of dozens of arcane debates all a service.

Oppenheimer builds on this fact-laden if recondite foundation to posit that many of today's ancestors came to the Isles perhaps as early as around 15-7,500 years ago. The land bridge before the end of the last Ice Age became submerged allowed two major inflows of migration, from a Ukrainian-Moldavian refuge, and an Iberian refuge. The former provided a basis for North Sea movements added to later by Scandinavians, Saxons, Belgae, and other Continental peoples. The latter brought people in on the Irish, Welsh, and Scottish sides closest to the Irish Sea that opened up in the later periods of global warming. Germanic languages cannot have diverged in Old English so rapidly after the Saxon incursions, nor were (against the Welsh historian Gildas' spurious claims of Celtic "wipeout") the indigenous natives necessarily Celtic-speakers all prior to the landing of Hengist and his post-Roman mercenaries.

Percentages of genetic disruption rarely reach even the point of "decimation" of 10% in a handful of Anglian areas, according to genetic studies of inhabitants today in these long-stable regions of Britain. Simply and ineradicably, this persistent divide, genetically and perhaps linguistically, Oppenheimer proposes, persists in our DNA. This parallels the Germanic vs. Celtic division of languages in the Isles, the spine of mountains serving as an insular border between these two major routes for farming and colonization.

The hoary myth of a Celtic genocide by Teutonic overlords that inspired Arthur's last stand, it seems, proves more a "Dark Age" screed than plausible history. Granted that this early medieval era remains fraught with dangers for those reliant only on chronicles or a misleading archeological record, Oppenheimer here makes his boldest suggestion.

Probably the first to enter this fray as a geneticist, he confronts linguistic assumptions about the rapid spread and dialectal evolution in only a few centuries of Anglo-Saxon in post-Roman Britain. Germanic languages, he opines, might have become established long before Romans, let alone Saxons, entered into what was not necessarily a Celtic-dominated Brittania. Celts themselves, whatever this term means given the looseness of this pseudo-ethnic linguistic concept, did not rush en masse into the islands, and they too were perhaps the harbingers of not a massive demographic invasion but an elite influencing cultural and linguistic trends among the natives, who may date back ten thousand years before the arrival of Celtic-language speakers. Unfortunately, traces of any words that are pre-Celtic lurk rarely in the archaeological record, according to most experts. We lack a Rosetta Stone to decode whatever insular peoples spoke before Celtic languages became the norm among both the newcoming elite and the long-settled old-timers.

Therefore, Oppenheimer turns to DNA for clues. He challenges linguists who for a century have been indoctrinated to ignore searching for language origins. He argues that science can offer tentative solutions that account for a Germanic undercurrent that may not be that apparent on the surface, but which aligns with what we know about rates of linguistic change that may have begun as long ago as 3000 BCE (estimates differ) that can be calibrated with patterns of genetic migration.

His thesis? Most of the original British Isles inhabitants descend from a massive "founder population"-- maybe far more than three-fourths or more of those today living in some locales. Due to genetics and settlement patterns, most humans stick to one place for millennia. This conservatism therefore provides a solid bedrock. It cannot be eroded even by the waves of more recent, and tribally-named, intruders. While closer to us in time and in the historical record (however tenuous!), these famous warriors themselves often number in the low single-digits (5% often!) in terms of percentages of genetic "material" we British and/or Celts carry today.

All subsequent immigrations, whether Celt, Roman, Saxon, Angle, Jute, Viking, or Norman, Oppenheimer states in the closing line of his epilogue, diminish by their traces in the descendants of the majority who trace their roots to British-resident or Celtic-origin DNA today. Most of the origins of the British predate even the Celts. Oppenheimer concludes: "we are all minorities compared with the first, unnamed pioneers, who ventured into the empty, chilly lands so recently vacated by the great ice sheets." (421)

The Origins of the British: A Genetic Detective Story.......2007-08-02

Oppenheimer has written the most comprehensive, well organized and complete description of the deep origins of the British peoples. At the present time it is easily the best of any other available title. The author is at the very edge of contemporary genetic studies. One of the book's strengths is its inclusion of many of the findings of other genetic researchers. It also contains supporting materials from other disciplines and classical writers.

I found the book to be well written, meticulously documented, illustrated with maps and other visual materials, and well organized for a work of its breath. It is written for the educated or self-educated reader and does presuppose some familiarity with basic genetics and dna structure. If a potential reader fears he/she does not have this background, I recommend purchasing a companion primer on dna or download materials from even Wikipedia. Most genealogists will have little trouble with the technical terms.

I have read critiques that this book gives no final answers. This is true but the author provides the best interpretation of British prehistory available from today's science and supporting disciplines. A good companion book to read with this book is Barry Cunliffe's Facing the Ocean: the Atlantic and Its Peoples.

Accessible, yet not dumbed down.......2007-07-28

For anyone interested in the early history of the British isles this book is a must. Oppenheimer gathered all the information concerning the genetic history of the British isles floating around on the internet, scholarly journals, academic works, etc., and having assembled it all, presents it a serious, yet very readable fashion. Like Sykes and other genetic scholars he used cutsy names to represent specific genetic lineages, but he doesn't force the reader to have to deal with a fictional account of prehistoric lives. Instead the names are easily remembered catch phrases for the aforementioned groups.
Sykes confirmed earlier arguments about ancient regional divisions between populations in the British isles, but rather than beat the Anglo vs. Celtic drum, he argues that the English, Scots, Irish and Welsh all came out of the same prehistoric mix of Iberian, Near Eastern, and Eastern European migrants. Sykes does not, however, argue against the validity of "Celtic" as an lable representing certain populations in Western Europe. Rather, we need to rethink the way in which we use the term.
Using a rational - if not 100% believable argument - based on linguistics, history, genetics and archaeology, Sykes also contends that the roots of the English language in what is now Eastern England might predate the Roman invasion. In other words the linguistic division between the Welsh and the English is not the result of the Anglo-Saxon invasion, instead owing to more long-standing prehistoric social and cultural divisions.

Great Analysis.......2007-05-14

This book is incredibly insightful on a topic that few people know about. It accurately and convincingly dispels many rumors and genealogical cover-ups and gets right down to what is factual. That, in my opinion, is what is most important about a book that presents many important concepts in a objective manner. Forget about the fact that he happens to use "pet names," and that he can drone on a little. His contemporary Bryan Sykes, who wrote a book on exactly the same topic, does the exact same thing and comes to the same basic conclusions. In any case, the meat of the books, the facts, haven't been disputed as of yet.

My Big Dinosaur Book (Priddy Books Big Ideas for Little People)

Average customer rating:

Meh. Fake looking pictures and unpronouncable species names
dinosaur book- too simple
MY CHILDREN LOVE IT!
dinos
My Big Dinosaur Book for Kids

My Big Dinosaur Book (Priddy Books Big Ideas for Little People)
Roger Priddy
Manufacturer: Priddy Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0312493282

Customer Reviews:

Meh. Fake looking pictures and unpronouncable species names.......2007-09-24

and a little quiz on each page :
'Which dinosaur has 2 big horns'....

Seriously, if you can pronounce more than 80% of the names, much less your kid,
you are probably a reptologist.

dinosaur book- too simple.......2007-08-24

I am not so impressed with this book. the pictures are not colourful enough for the children. the names are a mouthful!

MY CHILDREN LOVE IT!.......2007-08-16

This book is very colorful and big. My children love to sit and look at the book!

dinos.......2007-07-19

Very cute book. My 3 yr. old son loves dinosaurs and this is one of his favorite books.

My Big Dinosaur Book for Kids.......2007-03-22

I gave this book as a gift to a [...] boy and he simply loved it and spend hours and hours reading and looking at the pictures of the Dinosaurs. For the price this was an exceptional learning tool for younger kids.

People of the Earth: An Introduction to World Prehistory (12th Edition)

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People of the Earth: An Introduction to World Prehistory (12th Edition)
Brian M. Fagan
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0132274086

Book Description

This internationally renowned text provides the only truly global account of human prehistory from the earliest times through the earliest civilizations. Written in an accessible way, People of the Earth shows how today's diverse humanity developed biologically and culturally over millions of years against a background of constant climatic change.

Average customer rating:

Mystery Romance
Speechless...well, almost.
Don't Read this Erotic Native American Mystery Unless You Plan on Reading Its Sequels
A nice mystery book.
Great debut from Kathleen O'Gear!

It Sleeps in Me
Kathleen O'Neal Gear
Manufacturer: Forge Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Bone Walker: Book III of the Anasazi Mysteries

ASIN: 0765314150
Release Date: 2005-04-21

Book Description

USA Todaybestselling author Kathleen O'Neal Gear spins a tale of erotic passion as a Native American High Chieftess struggles with the spirit of her greatest lover S ora is the wise, young, High Chieftess of the Black Falcon Nation. For many winters her heart belonged to her husband, Flint, a warrior from a neighboring clan. Flint truly loved Sora, and together they explored the worlds of passion and love. But Flint was very jealous and on more than one occasion beat men to death for merely casting a longing glance at Sora. Unable to live with his murderous rage, Flint moved back to his mother's clan, divorcing Sora and leaving her forever.

Customer Reviews:

Mystery Romance.......2007-06-04

Kathleen has done a superb job of adding a fictional story to the great historical cultures of the Native Americans. She has shown courage in being willing to add the romantic element. I look forward to reading her next work as it will use the power of sex to heal. The high chieftess trully exudes the stresses of leadership.

Speechless...well, almost........2007-01-09

I have read almost all of the books that Kathleen had co-written with her husband and loved each one. I expected nothing less from this book. I began reading it and was very pleased with the story. It has a lot of erotic moments that some may interpret as a cheap romance novel, but it is so much more. If you are prude in that department you may not be interested in this reading. However, sex is a very personal act shared between two people. It was important I think for the readers to understand the graphic details that were shared between the people to further develop the story and understand the characters better. The story twisted me in so many different directions and the end just cuts you off. I hate that. I really do. It is like watching your favorite t.v. show just to have the climax cut you off with big bold letters that read, "TO BE CONT..." However, the sequel has already been published so I understand and hope (cross my fingers) that all the answers that I seek will reveal itself in the next book. Knowing that I could continue the story kept me from taking away a few stars when rating this book. Kathleen is a great author and I will continue to follow her work.

Don't Read this Erotic Native American Mystery Unless You Plan on Reading Its Sequels.......2006-07-12

IT SLEEPS IN ME by Kathleen O'Neal Gear has officially peeved me off. The book kept me interested all the way until the very end. In fact, it built serious momentum at the end, making me more and more excited to see how all the intrigue and mystery will pay off when ... cliffhanger. Thanks a freaking lot. Now I have wait for the next book to come out (in paperback) to find out what happens. I am NOT pleased.

The story itself is convoluted, but fascinating. Basically, Sora is a Native American Chieftess (circa 1400s) who was divorced and remarried. Just as political problems force her clan into considering war, she learns that her ex-husband, Flint, has died. He was the love of her life, and now she begins to believe that his spirit is moving from body to body in an effort to stay on earth with her.

But is it really his spirit? Or is there a greater conspiracy going on, one to overthrow Sora from her position as chieftess?

The story itself is rich with detail about Native American life in the 1400s. There's also a lot of sex in this novel. Not romantic type, either. The story especially delves into the various sex toys these people used to enhance intimacy. It's not everyone's cup of tea.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the historical/anthropological detail and the intrigue/mystery. I just wish the book had a real conclusion instead of an advertisement for the next book. So annoying. Apparently, it's part of a trilogy that includes IT SLEEPS IN ME, IT WAKES IN ME, and IT DREAMS IN ME.

A nice mystery book........2006-03-06

It sleeps in me was one of the best books that Katheel O'Neal Gear has written. It even gives you a twist at the end of the book. Ill be getting the 2nd book in the triogy when it come out.

Great debut from Kathleen O'Gear!.......2005-11-05

When Sora, chieftess of the Black Falcon Nation, is faced with warring clans, duplicitous friends, and baffling seizures, she feels that she is trapped in a labyrinth of deceit. Skinner, a friend of her ex-husband, Flint, comes to Sora with a shocking message: Flint is dead, but his shadow soul lives within Skinner, and he must tell Sora Flint's last words. When Chief Blue Bow of the enemy Loon Nation asks Sora for warriors to help his clan attacks another, Sora suspects treachery despite the promise of jade bounty. As she seeks counsel from her second husband, Rockfish, and best friend, Wink, Sora is shocked that they are eager to accept Blue Bow's proposal. Suspicious of their motives and tortured by the lure of Flint's shadow soul, Sora learns that she can trust no one and that her life is in danger.

Throughout out this book I was mesmerized with the culture and the beliefs of this tribe. I use to read-up a lot on Native Americans in my college years because the culture fascinated me so much.

While reading this I kept trying to predict part of the ending but came up short every time I turn to a new chapter, there were a couple of shocking twists that had me going.
Gear did a great job keeping up with the story line throughout the entire book. It did break my heart during the end of the story. With this debut in a new series, Gear, the beloved coauthor of many Native American prehistoric novels (e.g., People of the Owl), spins her magic again in a saga peppered with murder, intrigue, and erotic love scenes.

This book was intriguing and entertaining. I highly recommend this book. Great work Kathleen Gear.

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