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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating book, June 17, 2009
This review is from: Invented Knowledge: False History, Fake Science and Pseudo-religions (Hardcover)
Invented Knowledge by Ronald Fritze blends a wealth of historical facts and logical arguments to examine the basis of six major pseudo-historical myths. These pseudo-historical myths are frequently referenced in books, magazine articles, movies and other popular entertainment media but few educated Americans know many details about these stories or their underlying lack of evidence. Since these myths are largely ignored by our formal educational system, many readers might consider these stories to be legends that have some historical basis but Fritze argues convincingly that they should be considered as myths that have no historical basis.
The first myth discussed in the book is the myth of Atlantis. While many people have heard of Atlantis, few know many details surrounding this myth. Fritze describes the origins of the Atlantis myth in the writings of Plato (c. 347 BC) who reportedly heard the story from his grandfather who heard it from his grandfather. After Plato, several intellectuals including Crantor, Lopez de Gomara, Sir Francis Bacon, Jules Verne (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea), Ignatius Donnelly, and Madame Blavasky perpetuated the myth of Atlantis over the next 2,500 years. Fritze's book introduces each of these characters and examines their claims about Atlantis, their possible motives for making their claims, and the scientific evidence or logic that conflict with these claims. Despite little supporting evidence, the myth of Atlantis continues to be perpetuated by movies, books, and TV programs today. Examples of recent works based upon the Atlantis myth include Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Atlantis: The Lost Continent, and Stargate Atlantis.
Each subsequent chapter in Invented Knowledge examines a different myth in a similar manner--describing details of the myth, revealing possible underlying motives, and summarizing the contradictory evidence. Chapter two examines the myth that explorers other than Columbus first discovered America. For example, it looks at the myth that a Welsh prince named Madoc first discovered America in the year 1170. Chapter three examines the Christian Identity movement myths that white Europeans are descendents of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, that Jews are descendants of Satin, and that other races are minions of the Jews. As such, the myth has been used to support racist beliefs that white Europeans are God's favored people and that people of other races should be conquered and perhaps destroyed.
Chapter four examines the Nation of Islam's myths that God first created the black man and that black men formed advanced civilizations that made many important scientific discoveries that were subsequently stolen by Greek and Roman (white) civilizations. These myths were used to motivate black men to rise up and overthrow their alleged domination by the white man. Chapter five examines two complementary myths that have been used as a foundation for some extremist religious cults. The two myths are: 1) extraterrestrials visited earth many years ago and 2) the end of this world is near. In this chapter, Fritze examines the writings of Immanuel Velikovsky who mingled a few facts from physics, astronomy, geology, history, and biology to assert that the earth was on a collision course with other planets (e.g., Venus), Charles Hapgood who asserted that the earth would self destruct from a shifting of the earth's crust, and Erich von Daniken who asserted that ancient astronauts visited the earth thousands of years ago and brought civilization to humanity.
Chapter six examines Martin Bernal's myth of Black Athena--that history incorrectly attributes the advancement of civilization to the Greeks (Aryan model) when it should have attributed it to people from Egypt and Phoenicia (black African people). This afro-centrist assertion, presumably based upon scholarly research was first published in 1987. It immediately attracted considerable attention and has led to hundreds of revisionist history papers, lectures, reviews, essays, and videos aimed at college students and social activists.
Overall, Invented Knowledge is a very entertaining and enlightening book. It provides a wealth of information about topics that frequently emerge in contemporary media but are largely ignored by academic historians. The information is presented in an organized and interesting narrative with lots of witty side remarks. If you read this book--you won't be disappointed.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely Well-Researched, Detailed and Lively, November 9, 2009
This review is from: Invented Knowledge: False History, Fake Science and Pseudo-religions (Hardcover)
Rather than actively debunking issues in pseudoscience, pseudohistory, etc., the author has taken a somewhat different approach in this appropriately-entitled book. He has selected six main topics that are beyond the fringes of conventional wisdom/orthodoxy, and has provided, in each case, a fascinating, detailed overview including: how the concept came about, mini-biographies of its principal inventors/proponents, the evolution of their ideas/movements, how and by whom they were opposed, what the issues/arguments were and where the matter currently stands. The topics selected - mainly pertaining to history, science and religion - are: the lost continent of Atlantis, the discovery and settlement of Ancient America, the Christian Identity movement, the Nation of Islam movement, the pseudohistorical writings of a few well-known individuals, and finally the Black Athena controversy. The writing style is very clear, friendly, authoritative, widely accessible and quite captivating. This well-researched and engaging book can be enjoyed by anyone. Those who are particularly fascinated by how pseudo-knowledge comes about, how it is defended and how it is dealt with by traditional scholarship will not be disappointed.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
On The Borderlands of History, July 4, 2009
This review is from: Invented Knowledge: False History, Fake Science and Pseudo-religions (Hardcover)
Fritze's "Invented Knowledge" is a useful overview of several different themes in pseudohistory. Not surprisingly, the book begins with Atlantis. In the 19th century, the theory of Atlantis was a novel idea that purported to explain the apparent connections between the old world and the new--it was edgy, but not wildly implausible given what was known at the time. Plate tectonics ultimately proved to be the better model for how the world actually worked, so Atlantis and its progency (Mu in the Pacific and Lemuria in the Indian Ocean) should have disappeared. But they didn't--a loyal cadre of devoted believers embellished the theory, turning Atlantis from a lost Bronze Age civilization into a hyper-advanced, crystal-driven world of high technology and magic. As Fritze carefully explains, Atlantis and other lost lands remain nonsense.
"Invented Knowledge" also explores a grab bag of odd theories about the origins of Native Americans and who (besides them, of course) "discovered" America. Gavin Menzie's "1421" and "1434" come in for scathing and evidently well-deserved criticism, along with plenty of other strange ideas about the First Americans. Other chapters explore the racist pseudohistory of the Christian Identity movement, and the equally racist beliefs of the Nation of Islam. The theories of Immanuel Velikovsky, Erich von Daniken, Graham Hancock and others concerning historical cosmic catastrophes, advanced ancient civilizations and extraterrestrial contact are thoroughly debunked in the aptly entitled "Professors Gone Wild."
The final chapter, on "Black Athena," is an interesting exploration of an academic debate about which I have only passing knowledge. However, it struck me as being a bit out of place in this book--the Black Athena books are controversial and pseudohistorical, yes, but small beans compared to Atlantis, "Chariots of the Gods," "1421," "Worlds in Collision" and "Fingerprints of the Gods."
Of course, Fritze focuses for the most part on the relatively tame silliness that emerges from the authors of popular and even scholarly books. The pseudo-academic discourse is often quite mellow compared to the applied weirdness that true acolytes come up with. For an entertaining look at the folklore of the fringe, see " Weird Science and Bizarre Beliefs: Mysterious Creatures, Lost Worlds and Amazing Inventions." For a discussion similar in spirit to Fritze's work, see " Archaeological Fantasies" (ed. Garrett Fagan).
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