From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals)

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Can't Beat It

Four classics

Wonderful writing wrong package

Too big

From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, T

From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals)
Charles Darwin
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0393061345

Book Description

A gorgeous gift and a landmark work that is an essential addition to everyone's personal library.

Never before have the four great works of Charles Darwin—Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle (1845), The Origin of Species (1859), The Descent of Man (1871), and The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals (1872)—been collected under one cover. Undertaking this challenging endeavor 123 years after Darwin's death, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward O. Wilson has written an introductory essay for the occasion, while providing new, insightful introductions to each of the four volumes and an afterword that examines the fate of evolutionary theory in an era of religious resistance. In addition, Wilson has crafted a creative new index to accompany these four texts, which links the nineteenth-century, Darwinian evolutionary concepts to contemporary biological thought. Beautifully slipcased, and including restored versions of the original illustrations, From So Simple a Beginning turns our attention to the astounding power of the natural creative process and the magnificence of its products. Slipcased hardcover; 101 illustrations, map.

Customer Reviews:

Can't Beat It.......2007-04-03

I bought this book knowing very little about Darwin or his theories. From So Simple a Beginning was an easy read about a very interesting man. I would hope that not just supporters of evolution would read this book there is more to the man then just one theory.

Four classics.......2007-01-12

Excellent in every particular. Five stars in delivery time, condition, quality of the experience.

Wonderful writing wrong package.......2007-01-10

There is no gainsaying the writings of Darwin or the thinking of my favorite living scientist, E.O.Wilson. But the package is wrong.
Four books in one. Too heavy, too cumbersome. Discouraging.

Too big.......2007-01-05

This book is way too big to hold to read, so it is not useful. From the picture I thought I was ordering 4 different books in a book holder, not one giant book. I recommend buying them separately unless you have very strong arms and wrists.

From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, T.......2006-07-02

Good

Metabolic Man: Ten Thousand Years from Eden (The Long Search for a Personal Nutrition From our Forest Origins to the Supermarkets of Today)

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Practical for modern readers and amazing for everyone

Metabolic Man: Ten Thousand Years from Eden (The Long Search for a Personal Nutrition From our Forest Origins to the Supermarkets of Today)
Charles Heizer Wharton
Manufacturer: Winmark Pub.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0970656009

Book Description

Metabolic Man: Ten Thousand Years from Eden describes man's journey from a harmonious co-existence with nature to today's state of nutritional disorder following the agricultural revolution. Leaving Eden and moving into civilization, man has failed to live by nature's laws and throughout the last 10,000 years has paid the price with disease, maladaption and premature death.

The author's perspective of the history of man, his state of health, and the ecological devastation to the planet during the last ten thousand years allows the reader to clearly see where man fits into a downward spiral of ill health and degradation of quality of life.

Extensively documented, Metabolic Man provides the reader with a path to individualizing a personal nutrition tailored to his or her metabolic profile. Metabolic Man clears the mine field of processed food and advertising ploys that are in fact destructive to good health by helping the grocery shopper become a "hunter/gatherer" for specific metabolic body types in the supermarkets of today. AUTHORBIO: Alarmed at the deteriorating health of society in the "advantaged" nations, Charles Heizer Wharton, Ph.D. has devoted much of his time since his retirement in the early 80's to the subject of human nutrition. It is his fervent hope that through understanding their individual heritage and lifestyle, fellow humans can not only improve their own lives, but can help mitigate earth's problems in accommodating an exploding population. Currently he is Affiliate Faculty at the University of Georgia's Institute of Ecology.

The author's consuming interest in nutrition began in 1947, with the care and feeding of rare animals from the Philippines, (Published in National Geographic Magazine) and academically, by a course in nutrition at Cornell. He has Worked with native peoples in such diverse places as the Paraguayan Chaco and Sabah, Borneo. His first expedition to Cambodia was highlighted in the TV series, Investigative Reports (A&E). The National Academy of Sciences sponsored his second trip to Southeast Asia. His interest in early man was whetted by visits with the Leakeys and trips to Africa's Olduvai Gorge and Masai Mara.

Customer Reviews:

Practical for modern readers and amazing for everyone.......2002-07-06

Ten Thousand Years From Eden: The Long Search For A Personal Nutrition From Our Forest Origins To The Supermarkets Of Today by nutrition expert and retired academician Charles Heizer Wharton is a detailed, college-level study of human nutrition from the perspective of an ecologist. From the origin of human beings with a hunter/gatherer system of food gathering and consumption practices, to achieving the best nutrition from today's complex, market-heavy and artificially flavored world of foods and beverages, Ten Thousand Years From Eden is as practical for modern readers as it is amazing for everyone with an interest in the history of the human diet. Ten Thousand Years From Eden is a unique and highly recommended addition to students of nutrition, human evolution, human ecology, and contemporary food habits in a post-industrial age.

Cannibals and Kings: Origins of Cultures

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A classic!
I Liked It!
Why Read Fiction?
A contribution to cultural anthropology...
Cannibals and Kings: A Disorganized View of Culture

Cannibals and Kings: Origins of Cultures
Marvin Harris
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 067972849X
Release Date: 1991-06-04

Book Description

In this brilliant and profound study the distinguished American anthropologist Marvin Harris shows how the endless varieties of cultural behavior -- often so puzzling at first glance -- can be explained as adaptations to particular ecological conditions. His aim is to account for the evolution of cultural forms as Darwin accounted for the evolution of biological forms: to show how cultures adopt their characteristic forms in response to changing ecological modes.

"[A] magisterial interpretation of the rise and fall of human cultures and societies."

-- Robert Lekachman, Washington Post Book World

"Its persuasive arguments asserting the primacy of cultural rather than genetic or psychological factors in human life deserve the widest possible audience."

-- Gloria Levitas The New Leader

"[An] original and...urgent theory about the nature of man and at the reason that human cultures take so many diverse shapes."

-- The New Yorker

"Lively and controversial."

-- I. Bernard Cohen, front page, The New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

A classic!.......2007-03-01

Great work in the realm of cultural materialism.

A very good toss into Dr. Harris.

I Liked It!.......2006-11-10

I had to read this book for a class and I was plesently surprised. The author brings up some interesting topics that really make you think.

Why Read Fiction?.......2006-08-26

Marvin Harris' "Cannibals and Kings" is one of those classic anthropological, historical studies that makes reading non fiction fun. The phenomenon of solving riddles of humanity with a smile on your face, constantly nodding and saying stuff like "yeah that makes sense" and "damn this guys good" begs the question: Why care about Harry Potter? While Harris is more theatrical and less scientific in nature than predecessor's like Jared Diamond, the sheer wit of his arguments will move you. Furthermore unlike reading most fiction, during "Cannibals and Kings" you really are growing sager with each turn of the page. So if you're looking for a practical understanding of human evolution that's more entertaining than fiction then buy this book.

A contribution to cultural anthropology..........2005-05-08

I had to read this book for my introduction to cultural anthropology class last semester. Though I found parts of it to be dry, the work as a whole was eye opening. It does a good job of identifying patterns and evaluating the evolution of civilizations from hunting to aggrerian to imperialist societies, and onward.

However, I felt that Harris took a very naturalistic approach and underestimated the power of free will. He described everything as being systematic and, although he mentions free will in his conclusion, makes the evolution of civilization seem controlled solely by circumstance and necessity.

Nevertheless, he provides a plausible explanation for why civilizations evolve the way they do and why some advance faster or in different ways than others. I recommend this book for those interested in a possible explanation of cultural evolution. For those looking for a more introductory book to cultural anthropology that covers more ground (but is more brief), I recommend "Culture as Given, Culture as Choice" by Van Der Elst.

Cannibals and Kings: A Disorganized View of Culture.......2001-01-22

This book focused on several of the components of culture. It was disorganized because there is little continuity between topics and the general theme is that resources produce cultures. Complicated at times, the book was not difficult to read, but tedious. Another problem with Cannibals and Kings is its focus on female infanticide. It never clearly described why exactly females were killed insted of males. It answers the title by describing why there are/were cannibals in the world and later talk about kings and how kingdoms evolved. This book does give the reader a better understanding of how civilizations formed. The conclusion was inconclusive at best. The Epilogue explains that unless technology improves, the living standard will inevitably fall. Although this may be true, it does not account whether this will be true for the western world only or for the third world or both. This book is worth reading to get a better understanding of the connection between supply and demand and why cultures evolved.

Buried Alive: The Startling Truth About Neanderthal Man

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Caveat Emptor
Kudos!
His agenda drives him to a highly selective use of evidence. . . .
Good Work
Well researched, thought out, and supported with evidence.

Buried Alive: The Startling Truth About Neanderthal Man
Jack Cuozzo
Manufacturer: Master Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0890512388

Customer Reviews:

Caveat Emptor.......2007-10-06

If you are prepared to believe that God created the earth only a few thousand years ago; that the story of Noah and the flood is not a biblical folk tale but verifiable history; that Homo neanderthalensis is not a separate species but was invented by "evolutionist" scientists as part of a world-wide, century-old, anti-Christian conspiracy; that opponents of creationism have stalked the author around Europe with nefarious intent - then this is the book for you.

If you're looking for a sober, scientific treatise on Neanderthals, look elsewhere. This is neither scientific nor very sober.

But it's an amazing book, in the way that von Daniken's books are: amazing that an educated man can believe and write such garbage.

This good doctor makes an unwitting case for the theory of the development of modular intelligences and against evolution: His common sense module clearly failed to evolve. This is sad and rather scary stuff.

Kudos!.......2007-05-25

A great deal of credit must be given to Dr. Cuozzo who is one of a very select few individuals who have ever been allowed to study actual Neanderthal skulls--as opposed to the plaster copies that litter universities and museums around the world.

His studies--from an orthodontic perspective--shine great illumination on the biases and presuppositions that plague much of modern evolutionary science. Biases that still live--yet are rooted in the Victorian "sciences" of the 17th and 18th centuries.

The original skulls and jaws, when studied objectively (and not "assembled" so as to appear deliberately ape-like) show evidence of extreme longevity based Dr. Cuozzo's dental studies and other research which is included in great detail in this book.

Also, the sheer excitement of watching the French government try to shut him down as he threatens to expose some of the misrepresentations and even frauds that he discovers is a great read. Heaven forbid that the Neanderthal tourist industry be threatened as Dr. Cuozzo attempts to excavate the truths which, for so long have been deliberately "Buried Alive"!

His agenda drives him to a highly selective use of evidence. . . ........2006-10-30

First, let's clear something up: An evolutionary process is perfectly compatible with the revelations of Genesis.

To understand how this is possible, you must put Genesis in the context of the society in which it was written. It is a cosmogony. The cosmogony was a literary genre utilized in ancient societies for the purpose of telling the WHO and the WHY of creation. Cosmogonies were not written to tell scientific and historical facts. And no ancient person reading a cosmogony would ever have thought to force one of these accounts into use as a scientific or historical account. It has only been in the centuries since the cosmogony genre fell into disuse that readers, unaware of its context, symbolism, and purpose, began to read Genesis with the earnest literal-mindedness that results in its abuse as a straightforward play-by-play of Creation.

This sort of explanation makes many Christians nervous and even angry because it is assumed that if the work is not literal, scientific fact, the only other conclusion is that it is mythology. Why? The ancient world, in which context it was written, would never have been forced to such conclusions. Genesis reveals truth _within its genre_, and that is that God is the sole Maker and Master of an ordered creation--however He chose to establish that creation (evolution being one hypothesis). That is what Genesis was intended to tell us, not scientific fact, not a historical timeline--but Jack Cuozzo does not seem to know this, and the entire book proceeds from this fatal misapprehension of revelation. Had he been willing to examine Genesis in its context, he might well have discovered that there is no dogmatic reason Homo sapiens could not have been brought to be from lower animals, and that fossils which seem to reveal this are nothing that need to be explained away (see Father John Hardon's The Catholic Catechism, pp 91-102; Cuozzo presents his reasons against evolution on pp 98-99, most of which are evidence of a lack of instruction in theology).

As for the book itself, Cuozzo is an egregiously sloppy writer. The text rambles away within poorly structured, carelessly punctuated sentences. All right, we can forgive him for not being a natural writer--but that the publishing house (Master Books) allowed the book to be presented to the public in such a state of undress leads me to question its credibility as a serious work. As other reviewers have pointed out, Cuozzo is also unnecessarily pedantic, which means that even had he solid scientific conclusions to draw, the layman would not be likely to comprehend them. And, yes, he is extremely paranoid. Each time a fossil is mislaid, poorly studied, or improperly diagrammed or reconstructed he throws out asides equivalent to a wink, since "we" know what "they" were up to with all that. (An example, from p. 42: "This could truly be called evolution after death. . . . Pretty imaginative, wouldn't you say?") What's hilarious is that amidst all his talk about the political reconstructions of "the evolutionists," anytime he finds a fossil not meeting his own expectations we find him conjecturing that it simply must have been "doctored-up" or "deliberately damaged" so that no one would know the truth (see, for example, his study of the tympanomastoid fissure on pp 187-189).

Credit should go to him, however, for his honesty. Cuozzo has an agenda, and that agenda is to prove that Neanderthal man was post-Flood man with the morphology of long-lived men. He states, "I really hesitate to call the 'absolutes' [sic] of the Bible 'assumptions,' but this is only done in a quest for continuity of scientific thought . . . . Underlying both positions is a basic faith upon which a scientific model is built" (p. 81).

However, he makes such a point of the agenda, and therefore untrustworthiness, of the opposite side that it really must be asked why we're supposed to think Cuozzo's agenda and resultant conclusions are any more trustworthy. And if anything, the book reveals a great deal of evidence-lassoing, viz.:

1. Cuozzo's hypothesis is that Neanderthal fossils are actually the fossils of the long-lived descendants of Noah. Projecting the rates of growth of the modern human crania and the rate of wear on teeth, he claims that the evidence proves that the shape of the Neanderthal crania--sloping forehead, brow ridges, lack of chin--and the worn-down teeth are actually the normal shape and condition of the Homo sapiens crania and teeth at the biblical ages of, say, 500 and up. Since this sounds good, and since these are the only features discussed by Cuozzo, the unsuspecting reader may then be under the impression that except for these two features, Neanderthal morphology is not otherwise different than Homo sapiens morphology.

This is not the case, and even Cuozzo has to refer to this from time to time, as on page 96: "They did try to make a different species case as well, on the basis of the labyrinth of the inner ear. . . . I can't say they were too convincing, either." But why should we believe you, when we know you have an agenda, too? In fact, Neanderthal morphology differs in a number of ways, to wit, pelvic dimensions and the phonetic apparatus.

In the case of the first, Cuozzo does make reference to the larger Neanderthal pelvis, but, weirdly, states that this is because Eve's broad hips would have been designed to facilitate a painless childbirth. But if this is so, they why on earth would Neanderthals, who are supposed to be post-Flood humans and therefore well removed from Eve, still exhibit a characteristic only typical of the single pre-Fall female?

In the case of the second, Cuozzo also makes reference to the discovery of a Neanderthal skeleton with a modern hyoid bone: "Kebara II had the only hyoid bone ever found for a Neanderthal. . . . It is essential for speech and the Kebara hyoid was that of a normal human" (p. 252-253). What he doesn't tell you is that based on the placement of this very bone and the associated apparatus as revealed by the Kebara fossil, Neanderthal speech has been reproduced via a computer program--and it is not the speech of modern humans at all. In fact, the Neanderthal was incapable of producing the long e, the long u, and the short o--the cardinal vowels. If Cuozzo's hypothesis is correct, then the vocal apparatus of these long-lived sons of Noah would with age migrate into such a position as to make basic Homo sapiens-level communication pretty darn near impossible (which, incidentally, interferes with a later supposition he makes about the true meaning of some Sumerian texts).

2. He presents a single Neanderthal tooth (an upper bicuspid) with indications of having been precisely carved, apparently to resharpen a worn edge, as evidence that Neanderthals possessed the dexterity not normally attributed to them. But . . . if this were evidence of regular Neanderthal dexterity we would expect to see the same work done on other teeth--and the carving is not repeated on any of the multitudes of teeth Cuozzo examined. (Why did he attribute the work to a Neanderthal in the first place? I'll come back to that.) What's interesting is that in his research notes, Cuozzo admits that the physical evidence is not in favor of Neanderthal dexterity; he writes, "[I]n comparison with a modern man's thumb, the end bone of the Neanderthal thumb is longer and the next bone of the Neanderthal thumb is shorter; therefore, the muscles were at a disadvantage in the thumb grip" (p. 286). No matter, he says, that just means they had to work harder at it. (And wait a minute, do our thumb bones change with age, too?)

Well, ok: Neanderthals were as perfectly capable of executing finely wrought works of art and ornamentation as Homo sapiens turned out to be. If that's the case, then Cuozzo would not need to rely on a single tooth to make his case--their teeth would regularly exhibit dental work, Neanderthal burials would regularly turn up hand-crafted goods, and, of course, there would be cave art associated with Neanderthal occupation.

We've already exhausted the dental record; as to burials, the French site Grotto du Renne is so far the only site that I'm aware of to reveal Neanderthal craftsmanship beyond tool-making, turning up beads, rings, and necklaces. While this is interesting, the fact remains that because almost all Neanderthal sites lack intricately carved goods, we still must conclude that they did not routinely practice craftsmanship--and unfortunately for his hypothesis, Cuozzo does not provide any evidence to the contrary.

Now, remember, Cuozzo wants us to believe that Neanderthals were the long-lived grandsons of Noah, and therefore capable of fine art, so he must find examples of this art to support--not create--this predetermined hypothesis. Burials don't provide it; dentistry doesn't provide it; therefore, cave art must provide it. So, brazenly, he asserts that the real reason scientists say Neanderthals had less manual dexterity than a Cro-Magnon would have had is simply because they want to eliminate them as possible creators of the lovely Upper Paleolithic cave murals, and, of course, that way we can make them into a separate species (wink, wink). (Astonishing, given his own admission that the physical evidence supports the conclusion that the Neanderthals could not execute such art!)

He offers as proof of Neanderthal dexterity a handful of examples of cave art which in his opinion (which is all it is) that Neanderthals practiced imaginative art. First, he relates his illegal trespass in the off-limits cave of Bernifal, France, and reproduces for us what I'm sure he considers his ace, what he describes as a depiction of a dinosaur battling a woolly mammoth. Now, he does raise a very good point: if man as we know him ever co-existed with dinosaurs, where are the depictions in cave art? None have ever been produced (and I will agree that it's definitely possible none have ever been produced for purely political reasons). However, this ill-gotten photo he provides us with is, well, pathetic--it looks nothing like a dinosaur. Besides that, woolly mammoths and dinosaurs existed millions of years apart in time anyway--how could anyone therefore have drawn such a battle?

Second, he collects three strange Upper Paleolithic sculptures of men with very long noses as proof that the nose "does grow in old age. . . . ancient men knew this was happening to them and wanted to document it" (p. 241), thereby attributing the works to Neanderthal ("post-Flood") men. It is worth noting that two of the three faces are executed without brow ridges; the third is reproduced for us in an illustration drawn by him, and contains lines near the forehead which he says are a "series of elevations. . . . portraying future growth of the brow ridges and frontal area" (p.242). Not only is that a huge assumption, but since the ridges aren't evident on the other two sculptures, why associate them at all as a body of Neanderthal cave art? Even if all these WERE depictions of Neanderthals, first, that would hardly be a vast body of evidence constituting proof of Neanderthal dexterity, and secondly, it is not exactly wild theorizing to attribute them to Cro-Magnon man instead, since cave art all over Europe is known to have been worked by them. (He dismisses the idea of a Cro-Magnon authorship without much explanation as to why; more on that in a second).

3. But the most egregiously manipulated piece of "evidence" appears in Chapter 29, "Creation Model Predicts Downward Path." Cuozzo believes that age at the onset of puberty is falling, and will keep falling, due to devolution. First, he quotes a handful of classical and medieval sources which mention the age of puberty as around fourteen (none of these sources appear to be medical works), and then cites several studies from different nations showing that the average menarche (age at first menstrual period) has fallen. Finally, he brings in the condition known as Precocious Puberty; those with PP mature sexually at abnormal ages, even as young as ten months.

What's wrong with this chapter? First, he does not have any reliable data for actually establishing the age at onset of puberty for the last, say, six thousand years. So, how does he know it has _consistently_ fallen from an average age of about 30 circa the Flood (4459 B.C., the date he gives)? More to the point, though, is that most doctors DO agree that the age at menarche is falling--for one group of modern humans, and that is Westernized girls. Why? Better nutrition. This is what his cited studies actually show: all of them are from Westernized nations! One in particular proves my point: Japanese women born before 1900 were compared to Japanese women born during the 1960s; the age at menarche fell from 15 yrs for the first group to 12.5 for the second. What had happened in Japan by 1960? Western influence, that's what! And, in fact, among non-Western modern societies the age of menarche still holds steady in the upper teens--but, wink, wink, did you expect him to tell you that?

He wraps up the chapter with a solemn warning about Precocious Puberty, apparently because he thinks that what is classified as an abnormal condition is actually evidence of devolution. If PP is the shape of things to come, then the age at onset of puberty will continue to fall until an age of ten months is normal for sexual development--come on.

Cuozzo has a few other bizarre theories to share with you; he uses the book of Job as proof of post-Flood man's healing saliva, which we have lost (apparently unaware that Job was written after the return from the Babylonian captivity, and once again being excessively literal with a poetic text). He also performs an exegesis (more like esegesis) on a handful of Sumerian texts which refer to "the big brothers" and "big foreheads," linking them to a text which refers to "the first generations.," of whom we are to inquire (p 247). These are, of course, the long-lived sons of Noah, with the heavy brow ridges of age. Leaving aside how presumptive it is to interpret with assurance a figure of speech used 5,000 years ago, if we are to inquire of them we won't get much out of them, since according to the Kebara II fossil record, Neanderthal man couldn't communicate much of anything!

But, besides the above examples of evidence-lassoing, it is also clear that Cuozzo's interpretation of that evidence is being warped, first, by a refusal to acknowledge the paleoanthropological consensus that Neanderthal man and Cro-Magnon man co-existed for many thousands of years, and second, by a puzzling ignorance of the relationship of Neanderthal man to Homo sapiens. Beginning with the first, he touches on this archeologically attested fact by mentioning the Mt Carmel sites, which provide evidence that "both modern man and Neanderthal were thought to co-exist for 50,000 years" (p. 97). Instead of dealing with this evidence, he first makes a joke about Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons dealing with each other as the Palestinians and Jews do today, and then, returning to the subject later in the book (p. 253), explains that the reason Neanderthal fossils have been found at levels higher than Cro-Magnon burials is not because of co-existence, but because Neanderthals (the grandfathers, so to speak) would have been longer-lived than the Cro-Magnons (actually their devolving grandsons), and so would have outlived them, thus been buried after them.

His inability to work a Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal co-existence into his hypothesis leads him, therefore, to make several weird comments. First, discussing the aforementioned carved upper bicuspid, he states, "Unless La Chapelle had visited the local Cro-Magnon dentist, it appears as if he attempted to sharpen his own upper tooth" (41). One can't help but wait for the punchline, because, well, La Chapelle could very well HAVE visited a Cro-Magnon dentist. In another passage dealing with cave art, he remarks, " I doubt if a Neanderthal sat and had his portrait carved by a Cro-Magnon in France" (p. 243). Why? Cro-Magnon man frequently made artistic representation of the life abounding around him--why not his Neanderthal neighbor? Again, if Neanderthals were capable of artistic representation comparable to Homo sapiens, then their teeth, burials, and cave sites would all exhibit it--but they don't.

That's minor, however, when compared to his astonishing ignorance of the relationship of the Neanderthal to Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens is not, repeat, NOT, supposed to have descended from Neanderthals. Rather, H. sapiens and Neanderthal man both descend, but separately, from Homo antecessor. I do not know how he could have written this entire book under the impression that anybody still thinks Homo sapiens is evolved from Neanderthal man, yet he makes the following statements:

"[Regarding the Mt Carmel sites] According to evolution, the order should be the more modern skulls on top and the primitive or archaic ones on the bottom. Because they are found in reverse or too close to the same levels on Mt. Carmel, one could not have simply evolved into the other, so they were thought to co-exist" (p. 97)

"I believe that this child was not a Neanderthal but most likely in the group devolved from Neanderthals called modern man (Homo sapiens)" (p. 248).

"The older evolutionists like McCown and Keith would have liked to see a nice passage of archaic Neanderthal features into a modern Homo sapiens to make evolution smooth" ( p. 251)

"They would expect that this phenomenon happened all over the world with all moderns going through a Neanderthal 'phase' although not necessarily at the same time" (p. 251).

Overall, his work is a sloppy, disjointed embarrassment proceeding from a pre-determined agenda. Like the evolutionists he frequently lambastes, he has his story and he's sticking to it, no matter what the facts say. Sure, the "other side" has an agenda too. For that reason, and that reason alone, this book should be read, along with respectable paleoanthropological works: because somewhere, between Darwinism and six-days literalism, you can come to the truth.

Good Work.......2006-09-23

To put it simply this book is very eye opening in showing some of the great lengths the Evolutionists will go to cover up and hide their deception. it shows just how much will twist the evidence to suit their goals to deceive everyone about evoluton and great ages. Cuozzo has done excellent dective work in helping expose the lies. I also commend him upon showing the reader that Neanderthals were not some kind of primitive pre-human but rather extremely old humans. He uses scientific studies and evidences upon the skulls of Neanderthals he was allowd acess to as well as statments and claims from the Bible to back up his finds.
A book I found hard to put down.

Well researched, thought out, and supported with evidence........2006-06-21

Having almost killed myself through boredom reading paleo everything type books, I have found Jack Cuozzo's book a real breath of fresh air. It is well written, well researched, and has carefully supported conclusions. Something that is becoming increasingly lacking in today's world of science. Although there are minor points in the book I wish were covered in more detail, it is so well written even layman can walk away from this reading knowing it has been well worth their time invested. Excellent book, good writing, and now that I've heard him speak, I would say he is an even better speaker.

Who Was Adam?: A Creation Model Approach to the Origin of Man

Average customer rating:

Great scientific authority
Well-organized and thoughtful
Testable model approach to biblically based science.
Multidisciplinary Masterpiece
Who was Adam?

Who Was Adam?: A Creation Model Approach to the Origin of Man
Fazale Rana , and Hugh Ross
Manufacturer: Navpress Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1576835774

Book Description

Scientists Fazale Rana and Hugh Ross introduce a testable scientific model for humanity's origin--a Biblical model--that sheds light on the latest findings on evolution and the origins of man.

Customer Reviews:

Great scientific authority.......2007-08-01

My compliments to Drs. Ross and RAna! They have done a fine job of educating laymen in the intricacies of scientific creationism. They treat their detractors with respect and grace. I wish the reverse were true.

Similar themes are explored (in laymen's language) in a very entertaining suspense novel: The Y Factor

Well-organized and thoughtful .......2007-06-16

I was "educated" in government schools in the 1970's, and I was lied to in many, many ways about the "science" of evolution. I feel betrayed and violated because as a child I trusted those who taught "science" as facts, and I believed in the charts and pictures where man is "evolving", and I certainly was led to believe we come from the Neanderthals (among others), but, again, I was deceived.

Dr Rana's book is excellent, but maybe he isn't as angry as I am about all the lies that textbooks still propagate today as "truth." Evolution, in short, is a fraud and a hoax, but so many of us want to believe in science, and it is hard to just turn everything over to faith, but evolution, in itself, is a religion too.

Testable model approach to biblically based science........2007-05-13

I applaud Dr. Ross for implementing a testable model approach to science (and more specifically origins of modern man) based on the the bible. A balanced, thorough and respectful approach to science. Assertions and data worthy of our consideration.

Multidisciplinary Masterpiece.......2006-10-08

Biochemist Fazale Rana and astronomer Hugh Ross examine the latest discoveries in various branches of science and the hominid fossil record, testing these against evolutionary theory and a specific creation model. Who Was Adam? elevates the creation/evolution debate by evaluating new evidence from the disciplines of archaeology, astronomy, biochemistry and genetics. The book compares traditional evolutionist thought based on naturalism (materialism) to the science of nature (creation) according to the biblical account. Both views are then put to the test for scientific viability.

Part 1: What Is Man? contrasts King David's and Darwin's ideas on mankind's significance. David pereceived the universe with a sense of awe and marveled at the fact that God cares for human beings. This part also explores the current evolutionary models of humanity's origin in view of the hominid fossil record. Finally the scientific creationist model for human origin is presented, using testable methodology and making key predictions.

Part 2: The Song Of Science, goes into detail concerning the latest findings from the various disciplines. Chapters 4 & 5 look at archaeology, genetics and paleontology, demonstrating how the evidence impacts on the aforementioned models. The perfect timing for the appearance of humanity is analyzed from an astronomical perspective in chapter 6, whilst the next one discusses the reasons for the longevity amongst early humans as recorded in Genesis. This interesting section considers cutting-edge findings in the biochemistry of aging, with reference to amongst others: free radicals, calorie restriction, telomeres and historical variations in cosmic radiation.

Chapter 8: People On The Move, investigates recent genetic findings that chart the spread of mankind from the Middle East. This includes evidence from archaeology and geology and looks at Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. The short section on linguistic evidence mentions the 3 language families of Amerind, Na-Dene and Eskimo-Aleut. For further information, I refer the interested reader to the book Language In The Americas by Professor Joseph Greenberg. For more on human genetics, I recommend the work of Luigi Cavalli-Sforza.

The probability of human evolution is examined in chapters 9 to 13 which encompass discussions of chromosomal similarities, Homo Erectus and Neanderthal. The latest mtDNA research shows that Neanderthal was a distinct species. As regards the popular perception of humanity sharing 99% of genes with the chimpanzee, by the same reasoning we share 35% of same with daffodils! The author looks at so-called Junk DNA in chapter 14, pointing out that the various types of non-coding DNA perform functional roles as is being discovered with increasing frequency. Pseudogenes, LINEs, SINEs and endogenous retroviruses are all examined here.

The reading pleasure is enhanced by text blocks discussing topics like the Garden of Eden and the genealogies of the Bible. Seventeen figures throughout the text include maps of the human diasporas, protein and chromosome structure and the elements of Junk DNA. The book concludes with 38 pages of bibliographical notes and an index. This illuminating work is a gripping read and great reference source. I also recommend A Matter Of Days by Hugh Ross which presents the sane Christian view of the duration of the creation days in Genesis.

Who was Adam?.......2006-09-18

This book presents a "testable model" for creation and then presents proofs for it. I'm only giving it three stars because I was able to understand the model very well but not the proofs. This is primarily because I am a scientifically illiterate person who didn't even take high school biology. As such, I was looking for more of a primer that would help me get started in understanding the evolution/creation debate. I must admit that nothing on the cover of this book misled me into believing this was such a book but I did have the impression that RTB's books were a sort of ministry to the scientifically illiterate.

I did glean some things I didn't know in regards to the history of the debate and current scientific findings but I had to wade through way too much material that was way over my head to find it.

"Exterminate All the Brutes": One Man's Odyssey into the Heart of Darkness and the Origins of European Genocide

Average customer rating:

Explaining genocide: "They were going to die anyhow..."
Incredibly powerful and relevant still
A surreal examination of violence and its justification
Good, but not essential
Horrifying But True

"Exterminate All the Brutes": One Man's Odyssey into the Heart of Darkness and the Origins of European Genocide
Sven Lindqvist
Manufacturer: New Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1565843592

Amazon.com

Sven Lindqvist, a traveler and historian, paints a broad-brush history of European colonialism, especially in Africa. Drawing his title from Joseph Conrad's fable Heart of Darkness, he turns up 19th-century newspaper accounts of British massacres of wounded Sudanese rebels after the siege of Omdurman, of German concentration camps in what was once called Southwest Africa, of a Belgian captain who decorated his flower beds with the heads of recalcitrant plantation workers. These incidents were not unusual, Lindqvist writes. Neither were they thought especially brutal by their perpetrators, for, he argues, colonialism was guided by a doctrine that placed Europe at the top of the evolutionary ladder and regarded non-Europeans as a separate species bound for extinction--a doctrine that found its ultimate expression in the Holocaust. This is an occasionally gruesome and always provocative study.

Book Description

A brilliant and unsettling intellectual history of Europe's genocidal colonization of Africa.

"Exterminate All the Brutes" is a searching examination of Europe's dark history in Africa and the origins of genocide. Using Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness as his point of departure, Sven Lindqvist takes us on a haunting tour through the colonial past, interwoven with a modern-day travelogue. Retracing the steps of European explorers, missionaries, politicians, and historians in Africa from the late eighteenth century onward, the author exposes the roots of genocide in Africa via his own journey through the Saharan desert. As Lindqvist shows, fantasies not merely of white superiority but of actual extermination—"cleansing" the earth of the so-called lesser races—deeply informed European colonialism and racist ideology that ultimately culminated in Europe's own Holocaust.

Chosen as one of the Best Books of 1998 by the New Internationalist, which called it "a beautifully written integration of criticism, cultural history, and travel writing, underpinned by a passion for social justice," "Exterminate All the Brutes" is a powerful reckoning with the past and an indispensable contribution to the literature of colonial Africa and European genocide.

Customer Reviews:

Explaining genocide: "They were going to die anyhow...".......2007-04-02

"At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace throughout the world the savage races." - Charles Darwin

The words "civilized" and "savage" are relative, as continually reminded by recent history and current events. Sven Lindqvist, in his spare, lucid, imaginative prose demonstrates the moral hypocricy of the "champions of civilization". Yes, this is a book that will be read with an accelerated heartbeat, more than a bit of anger and some tears amongst the more sensitive. It should also be an edifying experience even for the well read. I don't believe this book is about providing any particular group(s) with an extra burden of guilt; we all have more than our share of skeletons in our closets. The real message is, we humans, we all wallow in the same gutter.

Incredibly powerful and relevant still.......2006-11-26

Exterminate All the Brutes is brief and disturbing; Sven Lindqvist unveils the realities and moral convictions we have almost completely repressed. Just as the author suggests, the book shatters the image we have of ourselves, but even more importantly, it is distressing how relevant his ideas and Conrad's `Heart of Darkness' are in the world today - again.

The title of the book is taken from Joseph Conrad's 1902 classic novel - Heart of Darkness. In it, the main character, Kurtz, goes to Africa to bring progress and culture to the uncivilized continent. He is dispatched to Africa as an ivory procurement agent, and as the story develops the reader is confronted with the unreal brutality of the colonial rule. Conrad's work intertwines the themes of `light of civilization' and `darkness of barbarism' and makes reader realize the hollowness of these phrases as Kurtz surrounds himself with chaos and mayhem. Sven Lindqvist develops this theme as he traces the imperial history of European colonialism and condenses it to a single sentence: "Exterminate all the brutes." European world expansion, he claims, and the employed tactics of extermination are the truths we like to forget. Preferring to externalize we look at the Holocaust as a historical aberration, a smear on the path of progress and enlightenment brought to the world by the Western societies. However, as the author points out, just as all of Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz, it would also be the European habits and political precedents that would lay the foundation for the atrocities of the Second World War. What was done in Africa, would be repeated in Europe - we know this, what we lack is the courage to face what we know and draw some conclusions.

The book culminates by pointing to the Holocaust, but one doesn't have to look far to see the same principles being applied in the world today; `Heart of Darkness' is applicable to every nation, culture and ideology. `Exterminate All the Brutes' is an incredibly powerful book.

A surreal examination of violence and its justification.......2003-07-14

I read this book in the winter of 2002-03, as the drive to war against Iraq was at a frenzied pitch. A few months later, on the day of the final ultimatum to Saddam, just before the bombing began, I was at my sister's house visiting. From the next room my nephew lets out a loud sigh, saying "I have to wait two more hours!" I thought he was referring to some show, but he was actually referring to the President's deadline to launch hostilities. So now, in America, war has become almost a staged form of entertainment which we can enjoy with our children from the comfort of our homes. I mention this because Exterminate All the Brutes has, for me at least, many moments which touch upon the surreal thought processes which help to justify the unjustifiable. It's easy to look back at dead empires and point out their evil deeds; less settling is the knowledge that, regardless of our many technological advancements and extreme wealth, we are of a civilization (one among many) that commits and condones extreme violence against the innocent, as long as it furthers the goals of those in power who profit from it. And we the people, like willing sheep, blindly accept the lies. This book makes us look deeper at the falsehoods, with the plea that when we next hear our leadership misguiding us, we can think for ourselves and reject the guilded call to war and slaughter.

Good, but not essential.......2003-06-10

I read this book as an undergrad, and was moved by it. I wasn't moved so much by the analysis of genocide, which I found pretty ordinary (but useful), but by his method of drawing on literary texts from the turn of the century, and his analysis of them. After reading this text, I went out and devoured Joseph Conrad's works, and I have never looked at H.G. Wells' work again in the same way. If you are interested in this literary period, or in linking these fiction works with the thought of European genocide, then get the book. If you are only interested in the roots of genocide, then check it out in the library before you buy it, to see if it will suit your purposes.

Horrifying But True.......2002-07-27

Here's a unique look at the Western world's impact on Africa during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Its told in a sort of travelogue as the author travels through the Sahara. On the way he muses over Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness", in which a European issues orders to solve the African native problem by "exterminating the brutes" The details of atrocities committed against indigenous populations in the Congo and elsewhere are horrific. The format leaves something to be desired as at times you're not sure whether you're in the present or back in the past, but perhaps that's what the author intended. Keep "Exterminate All the Brutes" in mind the next time you hear someone talking about bringing civilization to the savages.

The Immense Journey: An Imaginative Naturalist Explores the Mysteries of Man and Nature

Average customer rating:

Pondering Nature
one of the little known great writers.
Great book arrived in great shape
scholarly treatment of Darwin's ideas - and textual analysis
"...Lie Awake While the Meteors Whisper Greenly Overhead."

The Immense Journey: An Imaginative Naturalist Explores the Mysteries of Man and Nature
Loren Eiseley
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0394701577
Release Date: 1959-01-12

Book Description

Anthropologist and naturalist Loren Eiseley blends scientific knowledge and imaginative vision in this story of man.

Customer Reviews:

Pondering Nature.......2007-08-31

Most of us do not spend our days thinking about the magic of nature. In fact, it is rare that we stop and wonder at the unique qualities of life and evolution. This book is a collection of short essays which seem to take a walk through nature, pondering its interesting and beautiful idiosyncrasies. Without going into too much detail, Eiseley helps us to stop and look at the seemingly small things and understand their vast importance. This is not a complicated book designed for naturalists, but a fairly straightforward and engaging book for those who simply enjoy nature. A high school student interested in studying anthropology or environmental science in college would be wise to read this as inspiration.

one of the little known great writers........2007-02-10

the title, i suppose, could lead one to think that this book might be too heavily on the new-agey side of things for one's taste. not so! mr eiseley is one of the most profound thinkers i have come across over the years, and his writing is spectacular. i have seldom come across a non-fiction writer with such a marvellous prose style (lytton strachey comes to mind as an equivilant). this great book had me looking at life past and present in ways and from angles i had never considered. the authors wonder at existence in all its mystery, joy, and sorrow, made for some of the most moving reading i have ever encountered. this, and other works by mr eiseley, i will be reading and rereading throughout my lifetime.

Great book arrived in great shape.......2006-03-20

Great book, it arrived in great shape in a timely manner

scholarly treatment of Darwin's ideas - and textual analysis.......2004-05-23

Eiseley has read all of the different editions of "Origin," and in that way traces the evolution of Darwin's thought in the context of his times and in how he re-edited his books as his opinion changed. It is well written and argued and somewhat better than normal academic writing, but it still reads like a pedantic text. Perhaps it was too advanced, or simply too detailed, for the level of my interest, but I found a lot of this somewhat boring - and I admit that that is as personal as a reflection on the text. Eiseley is a world-class science writer, up there with Sagan and Gould, and explains with great clarity, etc. You get to know Darwin's mind, his many doubts, and the way he constantly hedged and worried about his reception.

Recommended with this in mind. It really depends on what you are looking for.

"...Lie Awake While the Meteors Whisper Greenly Overhead.".......2003-10-17

This is a very unusual book. It is ostensibly about the "Immense Journey" of man along his long evolutionary trail. But, in the same way that "The Odyssey" is not just an historical travel tale, Eiseley's book is much more. This is a work about the wonders of life, the joys of curiosity, the rewards from solitary time spent in the natural world and the transitory nature of all existence.

This one must have been just fantastic when it was published in 1957. It's still very good in 2003 despite the passage of time, which has exposed several of Eiseley's scientific beliefs and musings to be erroneous. Keep in mind the tremendous advancements in archeology, molecular biology and all other fields of science over the last 46 years and don't get hung up on these anachronisms. Instead, revel in the beautiful language Eiseley uses and the imagery he evokes: "Some lands are flat and grass-covered, and smile so evenly up at the sun that they seem forever youthful, untouched by man or time." Or another favorite: "Tyrannosaurs, enormous bipedal caricatures of men, would stalk mindlessly across the sites of future cities and go their slow way down into the dark of geologic time."

Read this book and you'll want to dig up fossils, listen to the wind, watch other animals and soak up life. And you will probably want to read it again.

The Neandertal Enigma : Solving the Mystery of Modern Human Origins
Average customer rating:

engrossing, all round exploration of the Neandertals

a good primer for the beginner

Not just about Neandertals

Every armchair anthropologist should read this book!

Intimations of our distant past

The Neandertal Enigma : Solving the Mystery of Modern Human Origins
James Shreeve
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0380728818

Customer Reviews:

engrossing, all round exploration of the Neandertals.......2007-03-26

This book is probably already outdated, but it is still a good read. Everything about the Neandertals, as the book make clear, is the subject of often heated controversy. The author does a good job of giving all sides in the story their say, even if the to-and-fro arguments make it hard to come to come to a conclusion. There's plenty of information here in a not too-hard-to-read book.

a good primer for the beginner.......2005-06-24

This is a great book to get you started on more serious writing about paleoanthropology. Shreeve gives consideration to many theories without taking sides. His writing is clear & easy-going. I would have loved more illustrations & maps.

Not just about Neandertals.......2004-05-19

The best thing about this book is that it is not just about Neandertals or Human origins. It covers enough from peripheries of science and the humanities as well as detailed natural history to make it accessible and interesting to anyone who has the slightest interest in this confusing subject.

Though Shreve identifies the complex issues allowing us to doubt everything, the book is far from confusing and there is an enormous amount of travel and biographical notes of the people he has met that Shreve has marshalled in. By all accounts this was an expensive and time consuming book to put together and almost no stone has been left unturned.

I think the fascination with this topic is because it asks the big question - What makes us human? Fortunately, though many answers are offered, Shreve takes care not to make any dogmatic assertion and provides a balanced overview of all the ideas, key workers and key debates.

As a student, I liked the way he discussed the basics of the biological species concept showing how difficult separating species can be at times, especially if using fossils. He also shows us how lots of ideas can be manufactured only to be holed by later workers or evidence.

Most of the book is very fluid. My only criticism is the lack of more illustrations of neandertals - perhaps in colour and a lack of any detail on the classic illustration showing Ramapithecus leading to Cromagnon which has been shown so many times, though this famous picture is discussed.

I think this book shows what science is not. It is not about a solution to the problem that you can believe and cling to. Rather, it is a provisional statement of current understanding and if it seems to explain things, all the better (speaking in the context of human origins).

So many people and ideas are mentioned that this is true journalism, no holes barred, sharp, comical, witty and above all accessible.

I thouroughly recommend it to anyone.

Every armchair anthropologist should read this book!.......2004-04-30

I read this book many years ago and it is still one of my all-time favorites. It combines an anthropologist's journey to answer questions about neanderthals with the scientific debates over human evolution. It is suspenseful and thought-provoking. Mr. Shreeve is a creative, objective and often witty science writer who will make you want to read more about this fascinating science.

Though the mitochondrial DNA evidence was just starting to be accepted when this book was written, it is still an excellent resource. It will also enlighten new anthropology enthusiasts about the separate battlecamps of multi-regional and replacement theorists in the human origins debate.

If you are on this page, you should just buy the book already. Then go get The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes!

Intimations of our distant past.......2002-08-22

During the great space race of the cold war, Sergei Korolev, the visionary architect of the failed Soviet lunar program, included a writer as an essential part of any expedition to the moon, displaying an informed sensibility of the role of artists in interpreting the philosophical impact of science for the masses. In the spirit of Korolev's unrealized, intrepid writer, James Shreeve explores the enigmatic rise and fall of our vanished first cousins, the Neandertals, and their significance in understanding the origins of modern humans. Shreeve's work on the subject is distinctive for its highly engaging pace and style, reading like a sprawling, pan-millennial detective story, but ultimately, it is his own speculation on the nature of Neandertal consciousness - well deserved after so much exhaustive research - that makes this work such an essential read. After an absorbing globe spanning search for clues, Shreeve's odyssey though the ever shifting revelations and counter-revelations of the scientific community culminates in the brave, intuitive synthesis of facts and mysteries that is the calling of a great writer, revealing the philosophical - and spiritual - dimensions of our interest.

Book Description

This book gives a new interpretation of the reception of the new world by the old. It is the first in-depth study of the pre-Enlightenment methods by which Europeans attempted to describe and classify the American Indian and his society. Between 1512 and 1724 a simple determinist view of human society was replaced by a more sophisticated relativist approach. Anthony Pagden uses new methods of technical analysis, already developed in philosophy and anthropology, to examine four groups of writers who analysed Indian culture: the sixteenth-century theologian, Francisco de Vitoria, and his followers; the ‘champion of the Indians’ Bartolomé de Las Casas; and the Jesuit historians José de Acosta and Joseph François Lafitau. Dr Pagden explains the sources for their theories and how these conditioned their observations. He also examines for the first time the key terms in each writer’s vocabulary - words such as ‘barbarian’ and ‘civil’ - and the assumptions that lay beneath them.

Yakub & The Origins Of White Supremacy: Message To The White Man & Woman In America

Average customer rating:

yeeeeeeeee duckoo....
THE UNTOLD TRUTH!!!!
The most laughable garbage I have ever had the misfortune to read.
An interesting book
A MUST HAVE!!!

Yakub & The Origins Of White Supremacy: Message To The White Man & Woman In America
Dorothy Blake, Ph.D. Fardan
Manufacturer: Lushena Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 193009728X

Book Description

For Black Students, most of whom had been denied access to their history through inadequate schooling still controlled by white Eurocentric thinking, the discovery of great black civilizations, beautiful traditions, ancient religion, honorable ancestors, and indeed, the very orings of life itself, as their own heritage was truly uplifting and inspiring for them.

Customer Reviews:

yeeeeeeeee duckoo...........2006-08-19

dis be hella deep nome sayn? Word. I be gots my edgjamucatiums from de brubbas like dis here dat be ritin dis book. psickoligy- dat be de key to our problims. We need to get back to de Egyipt times when we was de masters and de jews be de slaves. I be whippin me a wite man to build me a peeramid and ridin around in a horse draun chariet wif spinnin rims an a dope sound systim if we cood git back to dat...word. We muslims still gots slaves in many part of de world as we speek like mawritania and pakistan and we need to git more of dem. Feel me? We was de first slave masters. Wich country was the first in histry to outlaw slavery? Denmark...as you may know, whitey run dat place. He tryin to keep us down cuz he know we gon put him back in ta work building peeramids like we was back in Eguipt.

THE UNTOLD TRUTH!!!!.......2006-07-20

It takes real courage, wit, and divine intervention to produce a work such as this. I have been searching for this book for years, and I finally get to place this masterpiece in my libray collection. Some things are man-made, while the obvious is sent from "The Heavens"!!!

The most laughable garbage I have ever had the misfortune to read........2005-12-07

Only a self hating white person or a mentally challenged Afro-centrist would take anything in this book seriously.

If you look at the barely understandable and grammatically incorrect reviews above you should be able to understand my point. This book is great for many things however, such as wrapping fish, birdcage lining and it makes a great campfire!

Enjoy.

An interesting book.......2005-03-31

Dorothy Blake is historicly the first white/devil/caucasian/muslim son however you want to call pale skin humans to have join the Nation of Islam, shortly after Wallace Muhammad opened the doors to whites and started the move towards orthodox Islam. She left though as Wallace left away the early teaching of his father (in which she believes) about whites crafted origins.

So the book is interesting as it brings her perspective on Elijah Muhammad's teachings. This is a good book to collect basic informations on white supremacy, african civilizations and slavery, but you'll have to check other sources for some more in depth knowledge.
The theology and analysis exposed in the book find its limit though, as usual when you look at questions of "races", spirituality and civilisations from that perspective. The book have many truth and make good points though, but there could have been much more things to say and analyses to make. Her message to white folks is of importance and an urgent reality. A good read.

"Message to the publisher" : did anybody proof read that book? it is full of ridiculous typos, i couldn't believe that book went to print like this! i hope this will be fixed for future reprints.

A MUST HAVE!!!.......2003-01-01

You know they say that there are two-sides to a coin,well this book is a must have for those caucasians whom want to know why is it that there history is written in blood-shed upon conquering the world?
Read this book and you'll find out!

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