Ebook 2012 Science and Prophecy of the Ancient Maya Mark L Van Stone 9780982682609 Books
Ebook 2012 Science and Prophecy of the Ancient Maya Mark L Van Stone 9780982682609 Books
Product details
|
2012 Science and Prophecy of the Ancient Maya Mark L Van Stone 9780982682609 Books Reviews
- This excellent book introduces the reader to the complex and fascinating world of Maya hieroglyphs , and Maya astronomy. The author quite clearly demonstrates that the concerns over the supposed world-ending catastrophe in December 2012 are the result of complete ignorance of the Maya culture as well as the Maya calendar.
- Very informative book. Great conversation piece for your coffee table !!! Get a copy today ! You will love it
- If you are hoping the world will end, look elsewhere for proof. Professor Mark Van Stone, when asked what he expects to do on December 22, 2012, replied, "Go to my office and prepare lesson plans." Considering that it will be a Saturday, that makes him a more diligent worker than I am!
This book is comprehensive, accessible, and filled with historical information about what the ancient Maya were REALLY like. For example, many things people might call "Mayan" are really Aztec. Sensational accounts of blood sacrifice seem to ignore this distinction Aztec blood sacrifices were typically killings, while Mayan ones typically were not unto death, but were bloodletting from their own royalty. If our political leaders had to let their own blood to pacify angry gods, I suspect priestly prophecies that the gods are angry would be somewhat rare. Other than this the Mayans were a lot like us.
Their seeming obsession with time stemmed from the accuracy of their astronomical observations. About the same time that Europeans discovered the precession of the equinoxes, also with "eyeball" astronomy only, the Mayans did, but they also did something about it They created a calendar that used the 21,000-year great cycle as one more temporal platform on which to build a mythology. Then they went a step further, imagining even longer cycles of time, in the millions of years. They "discovered" deep time long before our Geologists figured out that fossils had to be millions of years old. But when your basic Cycle is about 21,000 years long, a cycle around 5,000 years is just one quarter of that, and the date 13.0.0.0.0. marks the beginning of the next such cycle, and also the next 21,000 year cycle (I am using very approximate numbers here. The book's records are of course more precise).
So I liken the 2012 date to Y2k, now a decade in our past. I am a computer guy, and we had to do a lot of refiguring of old computer programs, but it was all pretty successfully done, so that January 1, 2000 was relatively uneventful. Anything that might make 12/21/12 "eventful" or "interesting" will result from human mischief, not cosmic apocalypse. - Dr. Van Stone offers us a credible version of the Maya, based on a passionate yet scholarly study of their writings. Instead of coopting, hyping,catastrophizing, or otherwise distorting the information, he gives the open-minded reader a glimpse of a fascinating people. With illustrations and lively rhetoric, he brings new life and light to a popular but too often misunderstood culture.
- Dr. Mark Van Stone has written a very detailed account of the many mis-truths that have been perpetrated, and written about that will occur in the year 2012 A.D.
Why, you may ask? Many years ago when I was learning photogrpahy, I photographed the key piece of the Tortuguero Monument that has created so much speculation and apprehension world wide. The piece was in an art gallery in Los Angeles, which no longer exists - all the owners are now dead and all I have heard was a rumour that this last key stone fragment may have been sold to someone in the Boston area. A speculative guess is it now serves as a door stop in someones grandparent's home gathering dust. Where the piece is today is a mystery to Mark and myself.
What Mark has written is a highly educational book that you can read at your leisure - start - stop if you want - and think. He was a student of one of the most repected authorities in the field of Maya studies, Dr. Micahel D. Coe, of Yale University, and a friend of many Mayanists I know. If you think what Mark is writing is dense, you have no idea how long he had to take to make it simple that many could understand and comprehend.
There is more that will come out on this issue, but use caution to the prople who predict the end. Gee, wait a minute now, aren't we now in the 21st century despite all, especially ourselves...??? - Being a Maya Newbie, I had no idea of the delightful surprise awaiting me in this book. It was my first introduction to the Maya and it also guided me to a better understanding of the Maya connection to 2012. This beautiful book thrilled me. I had no idea how rich and complex the Maya world was. Because of this book, I have become spellbound, enchanted and charmed by the hieroglyphs, art and creation myths of the ancient Maya. The book includes astonishing drawings of hieroglyphs as well as exquisite color pictures in high definition - making the book a visual delight. Something else I really enjoyed about the book was the use of humor by Dr. Van Stone. I'd be reading something incredible and then suddenly I'd be laughing! The book is a great read not only for scholars of the Maya but also for those of us just discovering these incredible people. Oh, and FYI, apparently the world will continue after 2012!
- We have just received our copy of your book. We heard you speak at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in September and were very intrigued and interested in exploring this subject further. Your book is one of the most interesting, informative and beautifully illustrated books we have ever seen. The book is an automatic magnet for all who visit us and see it proudly displayed on our coffee table. It is getting a lot of interest from all our friends and family. We may have to order another copy or two...
Your parents must be very proud of you and your work.
Comments
Post a Comment