For almost 3,000 years apocalypse prophecies have convinced people all over the world that the future is about to give them the world they want instead of the world they’ve got. All the end time prophecies splashed across the media in every age have had something else in common: every one of them has been wrong. Apocalypse Not is a lively and engaging survey of predictions about the end of the world, along with the failed dreams and nightmares that have clustered around them. Among the stories highlighted in Apocalypse Not are: the birth of the apocalypse meme out of archaic star myths in the ancient Middle East; the failed end time prophecies of Nostradamus, Mother Shipton, and other famous prophets; the long and murky road from the Great Pyramid to today’s Rapture beliefs; and the real origins of the belief in apocalypse in 2012 (hint: it’s not originally Mayan at all).
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"With a great deal of humor and a polished writing style, Greer recounts end-time prophecies from our past, many familiar, most obscure."
—The Rationalist
"John Michael Greer bookends Apocalypse Not with the supposed Mayan prophecy, how the date was calculated and what, according to an assortment of New Age prophets, it is supposed to mean. He is able to debunk it very easily and very thoroughly. In the complex Mayan calendar there is one reference to the date equivalent to December 21, 2012 and no clear prophecy on what's supposed to happen on that day. But the clincher is that there are many hundreds of Mayan inscriptions referring to other dates—and "a fair number of them...look forward to dates well after 2012.""
—Catholic Herald
"Greer has a gift for taking complex concepts and making them accessible, clearly explaining ten centuries of apocalyptic thinking in 178 pages that despite the serious subject matter are laugh-out-loud funny in spots."
—Third Floor with Water View
"Apocalypse Not is a rich history of the “apocalypse meme,” the idea that some great world-ending event is going to occur, destroying the wicked and saving the elect and the worthy. I’ve written extensively on this myself in various essays and books. It’s an idea that goes back nearly 4000 years and has embedded itself deeply in Western civilization, showing up yet again most recently in the predictions surrounding December 21, 2012. To my mind it’s a pernicious idea, doing more harm than good, but it’s also a seductive notion. In this very readable but extensively researched book, John Michael traces the whole history of this meme and its effect upon the Western mind. As we move through this “apocalyptic” year, I wish this book could be read by everyone and anyone who believes doom will soon be upon us or has to deal with those who feel that way—or who would just like to understand some of the history of ideas that have shaped our culture."
—David Spangler, author of Everyday Miracles
"Archdruid Greer carefully describes the “apocalypse meme” and relates its sad history since its origins in Persian Zoroastrianism 5,000 years ago.A meme is an idea or set of ideas which is transmitted from person to person until it becomes widespread and persists through time. It follows the same natural laws as biological evolution, as might be expected, since the concept was invented by Richard Dawkins, the current high priest of natural selection.In this case, the meme is the story of a conflict between the forces of good and evil, the end of the world as we know it, and the beginning of a better, ideal world of the future. This story is endlessly repeated in tales of Ahura-Mazda, the Norse Ragnarok, End Times prophecies, Armageddon, the books of Daniel and Revelation, the Messiah, the Rapture, atomic war with UFOs rescuing the faithful, the defeat of Sauron, the Age of Aquarius, the communist revolution of 1917, ad infinitum, and, of course, the famous Mayan prophecy at the end of their current calendrical cycle on December 21, 2012. One thing that all of these hundreds of end-of-the-world prophecies have in common is blood (“the first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers”), hence the undesirability of what may seem to be a harmless fad. Another thing is that, up until now, they have all failed to come true. One hundred percent. The book is an absorbing and entertaining read."
—FATE Magazine
"Greer’s easy-to-read writing style, the list of resources he includes, and even the structure of the book persuaded me that his perspective on apocalypse is worth considering as an introduction to the topic."
—Psych Central
"This sweeping survey of apocalyptic thought during the last three and a half millennia is written with erudition and sprinkled with humor. John Michael Greer seamlessly weaves the threads of religious/mystical and secular/revolutionary apocalyptism—from the most well-known exemplars to the delightfully obscure. I am confident this notable work will be around long after winter solstice 2012, continuing to serve the reader with its important explication of this critical subject and pointing the way to associated literature for further study"
—James Wasserman, author of The Temple of Solomon: From Ancient Israel to Secret Societies
"Apocalypse Not is a riotous romp through the history of the human imagination. Mr. Greer takes us around the world and across millennia, from sacred to secular, to bring us this tribute to the limitless creativity and tenacious desires of the human heart despite all odds.The book delightfully details our inherent human need to seek a utopian world, available only to the worthy by a trial that makes it worthwhile. He proves it’s not the Armageddon that draws us to embrace the idea of a pending Apocalypse, but the dream of the paradise that lies beyond. Reading this book will make you laugh at human folly and cry at its consequences, along with some of the most colorful figures in history.
—Jeff Hoke, author of The Museum of Lost Wonder
"Apocalypse NOT! It was very important that somebody took on this faux religious madness, this yearning for the death of our planet. Hooray for John Michael Greer for skewering the lot of them on his ascerbic pen! From the artificial counting of the dates of the end of the world, to the last big bout of robbing people of their money, hopes, and religious beliefs, Greer tracks this male madness faithfully. This seems to be a very American obsession, the end of days, profitable to those who spread it, a doom to those who drink their Kool Aid."
- Z Budapest, author of Celestial Wisdom and The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries
"The perfect hangover cure for the day before the day after the day the world didn't end."
—Lon Milo DuQuette, author of The Key to Solomon's Key
"If peddling flesh is the world's oldest profession, John Michael Greer makes a good case that peddling fear's not too far behind. Apocalypse Not lucidly spells out how social upheaval- as well as plain old boredom and frustration- have always inspired fantasies of The Great Reboot, when lions will lay down with lambs, streets will be paved with gold and lowly stockboys will become lofty CEOs. This book explains the how's and why's of such grand fantasies throughout history and how often they seem to come to grief. Armageddon through to you?"
- Christopher Knowles Our Gods Wear Spandex, and The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll
"Look no further than Apocalypse Not for your explanation of 2012 end times, Apocalypse memes, starlore and pseudo-philosophers in man's rich history of end-of-the-world obsessions."
—Nick Belardes, author of Random Obsessions
"Apocalypse Not breaks open the doomsday clock, revealing all its cogs and inner workings. The end isn't near: It's Greer."
—Clint Marsh, author of The Mentalist's Handbook
—The Rationalist
"John Michael Greer bookends Apocalypse Not with the supposed Mayan prophecy, how the date was calculated and what, according to an assortment of New Age prophets, it is supposed to mean. He is able to debunk it very easily and very thoroughly. In the complex Mayan calendar there is one reference to the date equivalent to December 21, 2012 and no clear prophecy on what's supposed to happen on that day. But the clincher is that there are many hundreds of Mayan inscriptions referring to other dates—and "a fair number of them...look forward to dates well after 2012.""
—Catholic Herald
"Greer has a gift for taking complex concepts and making them accessible, clearly explaining ten centuries of apocalyptic thinking in 178 pages that despite the serious subject matter are laugh-out-loud funny in spots."
—Third Floor with Water View
"Apocalypse Not is a rich history of the “apocalypse meme,” the idea that some great world-ending event is going to occur, destroying the wicked and saving the elect and the worthy. I’ve written extensively on this myself in various essays and books. It’s an idea that goes back nearly 4000 years and has embedded itself deeply in Western civilization, showing up yet again most recently in the predictions surrounding December 21, 2012. To my mind it’s a pernicious idea, doing more harm than good, but it’s also a seductive notion. In this very readable but extensively researched book, John Michael traces the whole history of this meme and its effect upon the Western mind. As we move through this “apocalyptic” year, I wish this book could be read by everyone and anyone who believes doom will soon be upon us or has to deal with those who feel that way—or who would just like to understand some of the history of ideas that have shaped our culture."
—David Spangler, author of Everyday Miracles
"Archdruid Greer carefully describes the “apocalypse meme” and relates its sad history since its origins in Persian Zoroastrianism 5,000 years ago.A meme is an idea or set of ideas which is transmitted from person to person until it becomes widespread and persists through time. It follows the same natural laws as biological evolution, as might be expected, since the concept was invented by Richard Dawkins, the current high priest of natural selection.In this case, the meme is the story of a conflict between the forces of good and evil, the end of the world as we know it, and the beginning of a better, ideal world of the future. This story is endlessly repeated in tales of Ahura-Mazda, the Norse Ragnarok, End Times prophecies, Armageddon, the books of Daniel and Revelation, the Messiah, the Rapture, atomic war with UFOs rescuing the faithful, the defeat of Sauron, the Age of Aquarius, the communist revolution of 1917, ad infinitum, and, of course, the famous Mayan prophecy at the end of their current calendrical cycle on December 21, 2012. One thing that all of these hundreds of end-of-the-world prophecies have in common is blood (“the first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers”), hence the undesirability of what may seem to be a harmless fad. Another thing is that, up until now, they have all failed to come true. One hundred percent. The book is an absorbing and entertaining read."
—FATE Magazine
"Greer’s easy-to-read writing style, the list of resources he includes, and even the structure of the book persuaded me that his perspective on apocalypse is worth considering as an introduction to the topic."
—Psych Central
"This sweeping survey of apocalyptic thought during the last three and a half millennia is written with erudition and sprinkled with humor. John Michael Greer seamlessly weaves the threads of religious/mystical and secular/revolutionary apocalyptism—from the most well-known exemplars to the delightfully obscure. I am confident this notable work will be around long after winter solstice 2012, continuing to serve the reader with its important explication of this critical subject and pointing the way to associated literature for further study"
—James Wasserman, author of The Temple of Solomon: From Ancient Israel to Secret Societies
"Apocalypse Not is a riotous romp through the history of the human imagination. Mr. Greer takes us around the world and across millennia, from sacred to secular, to bring us this tribute to the limitless creativity and tenacious desires of the human heart despite all odds.The book delightfully details our inherent human need to seek a utopian world, available only to the worthy by a trial that makes it worthwhile. He proves it’s not the Armageddon that draws us to embrace the idea of a pending Apocalypse, but the dream of the paradise that lies beyond. Reading this book will make you laugh at human folly and cry at its consequences, along with some of the most colorful figures in history.
—Jeff Hoke, author of The Museum of Lost Wonder
"Apocalypse NOT! It was very important that somebody took on this faux religious madness, this yearning for the death of our planet. Hooray for John Michael Greer for skewering the lot of them on his ascerbic pen! From the artificial counting of the dates of the end of the world, to the last big bout of robbing people of their money, hopes, and religious beliefs, Greer tracks this male madness faithfully. This seems to be a very American obsession, the end of days, profitable to those who spread it, a doom to those who drink their Kool Aid."
- Z Budapest, author of Celestial Wisdom and The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries
"The perfect hangover cure for the day before the day after the day the world didn't end."
—Lon Milo DuQuette, author of The Key to Solomon's Key
"If peddling flesh is the world's oldest profession, John Michael Greer makes a good case that peddling fear's not too far behind. Apocalypse Not lucidly spells out how social upheaval- as well as plain old boredom and frustration- have always inspired fantasies of The Great Reboot, when lions will lay down with lambs, streets will be paved with gold and lowly stockboys will become lofty CEOs. This book explains the how's and why's of such grand fantasies throughout history and how often they seem to come to grief. Armageddon through to you?"
- Christopher Knowles Our Gods Wear Spandex, and The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll
"Look no further than Apocalypse Not for your explanation of 2012 end times, Apocalypse memes, starlore and pseudo-philosophers in man's rich history of end-of-the-world obsessions."
—Nick Belardes, author of Random Obsessions
"Apocalypse Not breaks open the doomsday clock, revealing all its cogs and inner workings. The end isn't near: It's Greer."
—Clint Marsh, author of The Mentalist's Handbook
From the Back Cover
Three Thousand Years of End of Times (That Never Happened)
New Agers count off the days until the Mayan calendar ends in 2012. Evangelical Christians look for the Antichrist and long for the Rapture. Extropians dream of the Singularity, when super-intelligent computers will abolish all human limits to progress. Doomers stockpile freeze-dried food as they wait for civilization to crash and burn. Why are we waiting for Armageddon?
Almost since the beginning of civilization, an insatiable willingness to believe has driven people to dream of the apocalypse that will replace the world they've got with the one they've always wanted. All of these predictions have one thing in common: every one of them has been wrong.
From brilliant seers and religious visionaries to conspiracy theorists and fundamentalists, Apocalypse Not exposes prophecies of doom, including:
•The Biblical prophets whose successful predictions have been ignored for two thousand years
•The failed end time prophesies of Nostradamus, Mother Shipton and other visionaries
•The tangled interconnections between end time beliefs and the UFO phenomenon
•The real origins of the belief in apocalypse in 2012 (hint: it's not actually Mayan at all)
New Agers count off the days until the Mayan calendar ends in 2012. Evangelical Christians look for the Antichrist and long for the Rapture. Extropians dream of the Singularity, when super-intelligent computers will abolish all human limits to progress. Doomers stockpile freeze-dried food as they wait for civilization to crash and burn. Why are we waiting for Armageddon?
Almost since the beginning of civilization, an insatiable willingness to believe has driven people to dream of the apocalypse that will replace the world they've got with the one they've always wanted. All of these predictions have one thing in common: every one of them has been wrong.
From brilliant seers and religious visionaries to conspiracy theorists and fundamentalists, Apocalypse Not exposes prophecies of doom, including:
•The Biblical prophets whose successful predictions have been ignored for two thousand years
•The failed end time prophesies of Nostradamus, Mother Shipton and other visionaries
•The tangled interconnections between end time beliefs and the UFO phenomenon
•The real origins of the belief in apocalypse in 2012 (hint: it's not actually Mayan at all)
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More About the Author
Born in the gritty Navy town of Bremerton, Washington and raised in the south Seattle suburbs, I began writing about as soon as I could hold a pencil. SF editor George Scithers' dictum that all would-be writers have a million words of so of bad prose in them, and have to write it out, pretty much sums up the couple of decades between my first serious attempt to write a book and my first published book, "Paths of Wisdom", which appeared in 1996. These days I live in Cumberland, Maryland with my spouse Sara; serve as presiding officer -- Grand Archdruid is the official title -- of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), a Druid order founded in 1912; and write in half a dozen nonfiction fields, nearly all of them focused on the revival of forgotten ideas, insights, and traditions of practice from the rubbish heap of history.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Easy to read, easy to understand guide to the idea of apocalypse and its effects through history. Greer concentrates on the types of end of the world scenerios that must be taken on faith rather than based on research or statistical studies. From Zarathustra's first assertion that the world would end in a battle between the forces of the good god and his evil opponent to the current preoccupations with Rapture or Mayan prophecies, the idea of an end time has provided a reason to neglect work on real world problems. Why conserve trees if God is going to create a new earth for His followers?
Bibliography and index, as well as clear and concise writing make this valuable for students of ideas.
Bibliography and index, as well as clear and concise writing make this valuable for students of ideas.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
A must read for anyone who has ever pondered about, worried about, or prepared for the end times. I suppose this material has been out there before, but I've never read anything like the way a meme is explained and described through out earth's history. After finishing the book, I took a deep breath, and determined to take full responsibility for my life and actions. I realized how the 'end time' meme had taken control of my life for over 40 years. A lot of information that had extreme meaning for me personally in such a small book. I bought copies for all of my family members. Thank you Mr. Greer!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By MichaelH
Format:Paperback
The end of the world has been predicted many times, and all of those prophecies have been wrong (so far.)
In this book, John Michael Greer provides some solid scholarship detailing the prominent apocalyptic predictions of many religions and some secular movements. The book's not exhaustive -- it's too slender a volume for that -- but it does hit all of the major apocalyptic traditions and it's written with Greer's characteristic conversational style and dry wit. It's a fast read, but not a superficial one.
In this book, John Michael Greer provides some solid scholarship detailing the prominent apocalyptic predictions of many religions and some secular movements. The book's not exhaustive -- it's too slender a volume for that -- but it does hit all of the major apocalyptic traditions and it's written with Greer's characteristic conversational style and dry wit. It's a fast read, but not a superficial one.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Hermes
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I learned of this book listening to Coast 2 Coast, which I often listen to for comedic relief and relaxation.
This book is an informative, well-written and entertaining read. I read "Apocalypse Not" in two days and enjoyed it immensely. I strongly recommend this book, especially if you have friends and/or family hung up on the latest apocalyptic meme that has many wringing their hands in sweet anticipation -- the 2012 doomsday scenario.
I consider "Apocalypse Not" an excellent addition to other works that I have dealing with humans' love for the apocalyptic meme.
This book is an informative, well-written and entertaining read. I read "Apocalypse Not" in two days and enjoyed it immensely. I strongly recommend this book, especially if you have friends and/or family hung up on the latest apocalyptic meme that has many wringing their hands in sweet anticipation -- the 2012 doomsday scenario.
I consider "Apocalypse Not" an excellent addition to other works that I have dealing with humans' love for the apocalyptic meme.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Stone Bryson
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I must admit, I went into this book with a dose of trepidation. I have been a casual researcher of apocalyptic prophecies for years now, research which I enjoyed greatly. I did not really want anyone throwing water on the happy little fire I was building, but since I respect Mr Greer as a writer I decided to give it a go.
You'll notice I used the past tense when I said 'enjoyed' directly above. Yeah... so much for my research.
This book will make you re-think every notion you have learned about a 'coming' apocalypse. It may not dampen all your ideas, but if you are an active-minded person it will certainly cause you to at least step back for a moment, to pause and reflect. Well written, well researched, and full of timely examples, this book should be required reading before watching any of the innumerable History Channel shows about doomsday. It firmly places the idea of 'end-times' into its proper place - fun for fiction, not for reality.
Even if apocalypse is not your cup of tea you can still find much value here. As a last resort you'll have the facts you need to reassure your more paranoid relatives that all is good - for 2012 and beyond.
Unless the Zombies arise, of course... but that's another story.
You'll notice I used the past tense when I said 'enjoyed' directly above. Yeah... so much for my research.
This book will make you re-think every notion you have learned about a 'coming' apocalypse. It may not dampen all your ideas, but if you are an active-minded person it will certainly cause you to at least step back for a moment, to pause and reflect. Well written, well researched, and full of timely examples, this book should be required reading before watching any of the innumerable History Channel shows about doomsday. It firmly places the idea of 'end-times' into its proper place - fun for fiction, not for reality.
Even if apocalypse is not your cup of tea you can still find much value here. As a last resort you'll have the facts you need to reassure your more paranoid relatives that all is good - for 2012 and beyond.
Unless the Zombies arise, of course... but that's another story.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I prefer my books on religion to be written by recognized scholars, written at a level that a layman can understand. Greer is not an academic scholar and it shows. But it is a useful introduction to the fact that the Jews apparently learned apocalypticism from their sojourn in Babylon, and this colored subsequent texts like Daniel, the New Testament as a whole, and other non-canonical works. It introduces the reader to the key issues; but the reader should then seek out works by academic scholars for more depth.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By AlyS.
Format:Paperback
Greer's book is a very insightful and fun read. I had no idea so many prophecies existed! His style of writing worked well at being informative, yet not in a "text book" manner. I was fascinated by a lot of the points he made, and learned a lot about the world so to say. I was most fascinated reading about meme. This book is a great read, definitely saved me from 2012 hysteria. I learned a lot about doomsday culture throughout the centuries, and how various groups of peoples (religious or otherwise) have been predicting an apocalypse of some sort.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By The Nexwave
Format:Paperback
"Anyone with a little time on their hands and some common sense can
figure out why one doomsday or another isn't going to happen. But what's
really interesting is learning about where these whispers of the end
times come from, how they get so popular, and what it says about the
cultures that believe them. Debunking myths is fun, but exploring them
is enthralling, and this book has both for every apocalyptic event
you've ever heard. Make sure to pick it up by the end of 2012, just in
case."
figure out why one doomsday or another isn't going to happen. But what's
really interesting is learning about where these whispers of the end
times come from, how they get so popular, and what it says about the
cultures that believe them. Debunking myths is fun, but exploring them
is enthralling, and this book has both for every apocalyptic event
you've ever heard. Make sure to pick it up by the end of 2012, just in
case."
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoy Learning about Apocalypse
This is a review of the paperback edition.
I bought this the book immediately after reading, with horror, that 47% of the members of the Republican party believe in some... Read more
I bought this the book immediately after reading, with horror, that 47% of the members of the Republican party believe in some... Read more
Published 21 days ago by Sky
4.0 out of 5 stars
Informative
I'm a fan of the arch-druid's blog but this is something different. Lots of history and details (it may even get bogged down in details at times). Read more
Published 6 months ago by C. Burris
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's all Zoroaster's fault
The idea that the world will end, boom! and be succeeded by something entirely different (in which the Good Guys will have everything arranged their way) is by no means a universal... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Merri-Todd Webster
4.0 out of 5 stars
Short and easy to read book on the history of apocalyptic prophecy
Apocalypse Not is a short, easy read on the history of apocalyptic prophecy. If you're not familiar with this history, it's a great starting point. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Paula L. Craig
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scholarly and witty - a great combination!
I opened this book at a random page and was immediately hooked. You wouldn't necessarily expect that tracing a cultural meme through 8,000 years of history would be particularly... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Miriam Knight
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Prediction is very difficult--especially about the future"--Yogi...
This is the sort of lucid, funny, and sensible book that makes you want to hand out copies to family and friends--especially if some are New Age-y types thinking the world will end... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Owen Hatteras
5.0 out of 5 stars
Never say never...
Good book.
First of all, to situate the scolarly context of alot of the introductory remarks, I'll say that Greer has taken up on the subject as put forth by Santayana... Read more
First of all, to situate the scolarly context of alot of the introductory remarks, I'll say that Greer has taken up on the subject as put forth by Santayana... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Fredrick S. Ware
2.0 out of 5 stars
Intellectual reading but not what I expected
This was not what I expected - with all the hype about the end of the world next December (Mayan Calendar prediction), I thought it might be good to learn more about the facts... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Retired Olde Farte
