#@: 1491 New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

I just finished reading 1491, and I found it to be an extremely interesting read. While I know that some people view the interpretations of the observations to be suspect, I found the observations and findings described in the book to be fascinating. In this book I enjoyed the thoughts regarding pre-Columbian architecture, politics, government, trade, agriculture, etc., of cultures in both South and North America.



Of course there is still a lot of controversy surrounding re-interpretations of long-held ideas about pre-Columbian native Americans, but I enjoyed the thoughts that Mann had on the subject. I found the section on how early dwellers in the Amazon were able to manage the soil so that it was productive for long periods of time, as well as about how North American native Americans may have managed the landscape by using fire to suit their needs.



The section on Maize (corn) was particularly interesting, since many if not most of the processed food items we eat today are just reorganized versions of corn.



Evidences of early civilizations to rival those of the Middle East were also fun to read about. But, accounts of the impacts of European explorers and the diseases they brought were saddening.



Oh, I was amazed when I read about the different approaches to engineering in the old versus the new world. The old world's architecture and engineering is based on the principle of compression (arches in construction, etc.) while in the new world the focus was on tension (suspension bridges, etc.).



If any of this sounds interesting to you, then I highly recommend this book. And, another book you may want to consider that focuses on the Amazon basin is The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon (Vintage Departures).



I give this book a strong 4 stars. Thanks for the interesting read!
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More Detail For 1491 New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

• ISBN13: 9781400040063
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

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