1491 by Charles C. Mann (2006, Paperback)

This book goes a long way to repudiate long held, erroneous and even dogmatic assertions by leading researchers that Native Americans before European conquest were thinly populated, unsophisticated nomads living in harmony with the natural world. The author convincingly argues that indigenous American peoples built very large, settled agricultural cities and villages, impacted the environment in profound and even transformitive ways, and in general were more sophisticated than commonly believed. This is a book that is long overdue. Along the way the author exposes the sad spectacle of academic specialists who cling to cherished pet theories with a dogmatic, almost religious conviction. Needles to say, long held, academically entrenched beliefs are hard to overcome; young turks beware, the leading experts in your field will go out of the way to ignore the facts and try to demolish your research as well! This aspect of the book is the most revealing and, arguably the most likely observation to endure over time. The information presented is up to date, and sufficiently supported to make for an engaging and educational read, yet brief enough to allow the layman to grasp the points made. There is enough color and just straight out good writing to make this an enjoyable read as well. Behind the author’s efforts to help the reader understand the achievements of pre-Columbian civilizations is the notion that some of them, at least, deserve a place in the time-honored pantheon of ‘great civilizations’ such as Greece and China. Nevertheless how we collectively arrive at such views has a lot to do with what constitutes a ‘great civilization’ in the first place. My own view is that it’s about the degree that the ‘great civilizations’ have contributed to contemporary civilization. The level of influence that cultures such as Greece, and China, for example, have had on global dominating western civilization is enormous. Norte Chico is an example of a civilization the author highlights as being greater, that is, bigger and more complex than previously thought. Although deserving of more dignity and respect, I’m not convinced it is ‘great’ in its enduring legacy in the history of humanity. The same can be said of a number of meaningful, and yet admittedly obscure ‘important’ civilizations described in nice detail in the book.

I am enjoying reading this book because it tells quite a bit about the inhabitants of North/South and Central America lived before and shortly after Columbus' discovery of the New World. It dispells quite a few myths that we were taught in school years ago.

This is a very scholarly book about what has been written in the past and what studies are going on at the present time concerning the peoples who lived in the Americas from pre-historic to present historic times. It is well written and especially interesting to readers who have traveled in some of the more remote areas of North and South America. I had to give it a good rating as opposed to excellent because there is so much information that the reading becomes tiresome, but that should not negate its importance.

This book was so interesting the first time I read it, I had to buy another copy for my son and now my granddaughter. She is reading it as a Swiss/American girl, growing up in Switzerland and wanting to study more about her "American" roots.

The short summary of this book is "everything you learned in school about the Americas before 1700 is wrong." This is a well-researched, well explained discussion of the ways in which we have undervalued and misunderstood the history of these two continents. It rewrites the history of the "settlement" of the Americas the same way Jared Diamond blasted the myth of European Superiority in "Guns, Germs, and Steel". The style is relatively conversational, and the writer is careful to present the evidence that supports his points and explain where there is conflicting evidence or where his case is weak. He demonstrates pretty conclusively that the primordial wilderness populated by a few primitive savages is a myth. When European settlers and plunderers came here, they found thriving and sophisticated societies, with cities, technology, and a rich history. Did you know that developing corn, or maize, was a feat of genetic engineering we couldn't equal until the last twenty or so years? Did you know the great herds of buffalo didn't exist until Europeans came? Ditto with the huge flocks of passenger pigeons. That when the first European sailed down the Amazon, he found villages almost touching each other most of the way down? That the Amazon rain forest is a huge orchard whose gardeners left or died. If you liked "Guns, Germs, and Steel" you'll like this, and vice versa. Oh- if you haven't read that book- go buy it. Either way, buy this one. Tonight. Flip a coin as to which you read first. You'll be entertained by by both, and you'll understand your true history a lot better. That's true whether you descended from the European immigrants, or the people who were here when they came, or both, or neither. Because ultimately the history of any part of the human race is a part of what each of us.

This is a very interesting book about the Americas before Columbus. It is eye opening and mind-blowing but well founded in current research. It will most likely change your perception of ancient America.

very fast delivery.................................................................................................................................................

Great topic. It presents the latest research (quite fascinating) with associated possibilities, but carefully avoids presenting it as fact. Unlike "An Inconvenient Truth". Well done, Mr Mann !

The book was purchased because of an interest in early American native peoples.

It is an outstanding piece of work that is research based. Most importantly, it has sparked further interest in this topic to the point that I would consider traveling to archeological sites for hands on research.

The book arrived in a timely fashion, in exactly the condition the seller said it would which made it a good purchase. I am pleased.