Customer Reviews

The Hidden History of the Human Race (The Condensed Edition of Forbidden Archeology)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

In a sentence: If even a small part of this is true it turns evolution on its ear.

I was given this book by a friend for no particular reason and immediately scoffed at it. As a geologist, I had learned quite a bit about evolution and the filtered information regarding the "accepted" evidence. I eventually started reading it and what I read in this book makes my hair stand on end. The lack of documentation regarding "true" discoveries of human antiquity by the elite of archeology and anthropology is as astounding as the categorical dismissal of other evidence is deplorable. To dismiss evidence of greater antiquity of man because it doesn't fit existing data and "just can't be" is a tragedy of the ages. Makes me wonder how much of this goes on in my own profession.

Read this with and open mind and you be amazed at what you see.

"The eye seldom sees what the mind does not anticipate."

First of all, this book isn't anti-evolution or pro-creation. It just calls into question the established timeline and path of human evolution, and does a good job of it. For the reviewers that dismissed the evidence presented in the book, I would like to know why. I am highly pro-evolution and anti-creation. But I see no reason to have to stick to the established time-frames if evidence is presented to the contrary. In fact, this scientific dogma is one of the things that turns me off about modern "scientists". Science is a beautiful thing, however many "scientists" take it to the point of religion, ignoring facts which contradict the popular theories, even though those facts have gone through the same scrutiny and passed the same criteria as facts supporting "established" theories. That's what this book tries to show, and succeeds in doing so.

It can be dry reading at times, as it is very repetitive, but that is understandable. All in all, it is highly informative, and has opened my mind to the idea of a new timeline for human evolution.

Cremo and Thompson have done a tremendous job of exposing the high degree of subjectivity that is involved in screening and evaluating evidence of Homo Sapien presence and lineage. The open-minded nature of their approach is unusually refreshing in a field typically defined by hard opinions and condescension.

The authors exhibit tremendous courage in including all reports from the past two centuries that can be considered credible based on eye-witness accounts. When it exists, they also present contrary opinion. Rigid conclusions are generally avoided and the readers are left to decide for themselves how to interpret the evidence.

Criticism of this book ironically follows the same sort of strategy that the authors discredit - namely that full attention is given to the weakest evidence, while the stronger is ignored.

In the past science has always made its most embarrassing mistakes after decades, or centuries, of strict adherence to theoretical preconceptions. The last 50 years of shuffling human ancestors in and out of the family tree (while general textbooks give no evidence of the controversy) is proof in and of itself that we should always try and remain humble to the possibility of our being wrong. It's called open-mindedness and it's a common characteristic of every great scientist.

The book has a style, which seems to be too academic. In addition, the book presents information that for the academia may seem very uneasy because it shakes the evolution theory but at the same time makes the creationist tremble.

Another aspect, which is quite negative, is the lack of proof or documentation. However, the explanation of every piece of the puzzle that the authors give us is very interesting and very logical.

This book makes the reader ponder whether there is another explanation for our existence. To bring forth objects that an intelligent being 2.8 billion years ago manufactured or another with an estimated manufactured age of 600 million years is enough to make you think who made this objects.

The Laetoli foot prints arguments presented by the writers and the explosive comment made by Leakey about the book are quite impressive and make you think that the establishment is probably hiding something.

The implication of the information that is in this book is enough to reconsider all the available data. However, if the book is right many names and reputations will be trashed, and many religious theories or beliefs will be disproved leaving in the dust many names and many organization. Therefore, I can understand the hatred and the negativity of many professionals towards the book and its authors. That is why the establishments always require credentials. Making us believe that without credentials, no one can come up with an explanation about anything. Credentials, academic positions, and grants are the tight rope that obliges 'professionals' to become prostitutes of the system and be reverent and politically correct toward the establishment.

The information contained in this book is very interesting but be careful with what you believe and to whom you believe. Nothing is sacred except the truth! What is the truth?

This edition of Cremo's work has been abridged and rendered concise for the "normal" reader. I will say for it what I have for the parent book "Forbidden Archeology" that the potential for this paradigm of human history is excellent, but in order to make it into a justifiable scientific theory Cremo must not deal with fragmentary evidence (on which he builds his case so far)alone; these anomalous objects ARE inexplicable, yet insufficient in themselves alone to form the pedestal for such a theory. The proper way to start would be to start looking for debris left by (such) ancient technological human civilisations. If this can't (yet) be found satisfactorily, he should attempt to postulate WHY this hasn't been so, or WHY it is so difficult to find - and why such evidence is as yet restricted to fragmentary anomalous artifacts or shards turning up at random. Even though such a paradigm is "backed up" by a deep and undeniable presence in the human collective and cultural psyche - in the form of religious lore and prehistoric legends - that aspect of it belongs to the metaphysical, not scientific, domain. Michael Cremo's job is to SUBSTANTIATE the scientific side. If this is done and a theory erected, then this paradigm can be married to its metaphysical counterpart to fashion the biggest revolution in Man's history since "our present" historic era began roughly 5500 years ago in Sumer and Egypt. This, therefore, is not a matter to be treated lightly at all.

The book is divided into two parts: in the first the author meticulously reviews many finds (skeleton remains, stone tools, etc.)from all over the world that do not fit the chronology of maintream paleontology. In the second part, he examines the finds which support the theory of evolution concerning the origin of mankind and shows their controversial nature and even their flaws.
I found this book quite engrossing although the accounts are all pretty much the same:"In 1872 X found some stone implements in a quarry 56 feet under the ground, etc., etc." And the discoveries he describes are very modest: you don't hear about prehistoric jets or computers, golden tablets with mysterious hieroglyphs and stellar maps of the Pleiades. No, in the pages of "Hidden History" you will only stumble upon mortars and pestles, bolas, scrapers, arrow points, nails, coins, golden chains and a rare inscription. Nothing to fantasize about, but enough to cast serious doubts about accepted theories on human evolution.
The author adopts a very sober, measured style of writing and never indulges in sensationalist remarks a la Art Bell or in fiery attacks against the establishment. But the discoveries he is talking about are so new and unexpected that he somehow manages to catch your attention and I have read this book faithfully every day, which is quite rare in my reading pratice. I am almost tempted to say that this book held me under a kind of hypnotic spell.
I highly recommend "The Hidden History of the Human Race": it will definitely change your ideas about the origins of humanity and the credibility of maintream science. Even if you are a staunch evolutionist you might be impressed by this book because it is written in such a calm and objective way.

This is a more concise and more clearly stated version of Forbidden Archeology. Some of the evidence is startling and, while some is questionable, so is much of the theory and evidence that supports the "official record." Since the authors present almost any and all contradictions to the academia's presentation of history as fact, it is up to the reader himself to discern what is likely to have occurred and what is unlikely. However, the authors have revealed many anomalies that cannot be safely tucked into the dominant paradigm. For more scientific challenges to that paradigm see ATLANTIS IN AMERICA: Navigators of the Ancient World, and GATEWAY TO ATLANTIS.

"The Hidden History of the Human Race" is a condensed version of "Forbidden Archaeology" and contains all the same exciting conclusions as in "Forbidden Archaeology" at a fraction of the purchase price. I must admit this is a very controversial book. If one is a Creationist you will take all the information no questions asked, if one is an Evolutionist your skeptical from the beginning to the end of Cremo's and Thompson's book. The book is a very well researched and written using scientific methods that do seem to back up some of the authors claims. The book covers topics: Evolution, Eoliths, Advanced Paleoliths and Neoliths, Evidence for Advanced cultures beyond known existence, Unusual Human Skeletal remains, Java Man and other finds around the world,and Cryptozoology. To the Creationist this book shows proof of the Creation as man sees it, and to the Evolutionist it shows proof that time-travel is a future event for man.=-) I thoughly enjoyed the book and I think both Creationist and Evolutionist would likewise.

This book is an excellent resource book (along with those of William Corliss) for "forgotten evidence" about human development. The authors' greatest service is to list and document all these anomalous discoveries and reported discoveries. It does cause one to question current evolutionary ideas.

While I find it refreshing that the authors do not believe in either evolution or "creation science", this book does not convince me to discard my belief that evolution is a fact, a natural process of life on any planet with living things. I seriously suggest that scientists investigate the evidence put forth, however there may not be sufficient trained personnel or funding for that. Also, a lot of scientists appear to be getting a fundamentalist-type mindset about science; this impedes finding the truth.

The major flaw of the book is the authors' tendency to hit the reader over the head with their observations that the finds they present are not accepted by orthodox science (an "ortho doxy"?) and the suppression of evidence over the decades. Okay, fellas, make your point in the introduction, but, PLEASE, don't keep repeating it ad nauseam.

I hope Mr. Cremo and Mr. Thompson continue to research anomalous evidence in science.

This being the condensed version and so exhaustive in scope, I shudder to think what a mountain of reading the unabridged Forbidden Archaeology must entail. Part One deals with anomalous evidence in the form of bones, eoliths, paleoliths and neoliths and goes on to discuss artifacts and manufactured objects found in ancient strata, plus human skeletal remains. Part Two casts a critical eye on the accepted evidence and demonstrates convincingly how flimsy the evidence of scientific orthodoxy often is. There is also a chapter on Cryptozoology and a final look at the latest finds from Africa. The book is served well with tables summarizing anomalous evidence related to human antiquity, a good index and a massive bibliography of 27 pages. Black and white photographs and illustrations enliven the text. The authors have eloquently made their case in the most thorough and complete detail. But I must add that this doesn't always ensure "jouissance" in the reading experience, as of necessity there must be a lot of repetition. Nevertheless, a magnificent achievement and an excellent reference work.