Amazon.com: Civilization or Barbarism: An Authentic Anthropology: Cheikh Anta Diop, Yaa-Lengi Meema Ngemi: Books

From Library Journal
This last work of the well-known Senegalese scholar (1923-86) is a summation and expansion of his two previous volumes-- Precolonial Black Africa (1987) and The African Origin of Civilization (1974)--and offers a refined statement of his life's work, to prove the primacy of African culture by proving that ancient Egypt was a black society, first in many cultural achievements later claimed by the following Indo-Aryan cultures. To this end, Diop discusses the paleontology, sociology, anthropology, and intellectual history of the ancient Egyptians set against contemporaneous cultures and also the modern Wolofs. This is a fascinating and frustrating volume. The organization is patchy; one central section seems to have gone off-course into an apology for Marxist political theory; the translation stumbles badly, especially in the early chapters; and one feels that history is being stretched (a la Velikovsky) on the author's Procrustean bed of African genesis. But Diop's erudition is patent, his place in African letters is secure, and his major works should certainly be available. For academic and large public collections.
-Jo-Ann D. Suleiman, SANAD Support Technologies, Rockville, Md.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Challenging societal beliefs, this volume rethinks African and world history from an Afrocentric perspective.

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Product Details

Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books (April 1, 1991)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1556520484
ISBN-13: 978-1556520488
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #175,102 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
The research conducted in humanistic paleontology, particularly by the late Dr. Louis Leakey, has helped to place the birthplace of humanity in East Africa's Great Lakes region, around the Omo Valley. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
double remen, behold your majesty, generalized slavery, sidereal calendar, production asiatique, historical conscience, sapiens sapiens, slave mode

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Black Africa, Rhind Papyrus, Upper Paleolithic, Grimaldi Negroid, Middle Ages, Recent Minoan, Ancient Empire, Papyrus of Moscow, Piltdown Man, Africa's Contribution, Egyptian Dynasty, Grimaldi Man, Nile Valley, Upper Nile, Diam Gallo, Eric Peet, Aegean Sea, Alexander the Great, Asia Minor, Upper Egypt, Diodorus of Sicily, Near East, Pharaonic Egypt, African Homo, Book of the Dead

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 31 books:

The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus by T. Eric Peet on 6 pages
Cheikh Anta Diop by Nomade Revue Culture on 6 pages
Egypt and Negro Africa: A Study in Divine Kingship by Charles G. Seligman in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
Mathematics in the Time of the Pharaohs by Richard J. Gillings on page 234, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Works and Days (Oxford University Press academic monograph reprints) by Hesiod on page 132, page 154, and page 204

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18 books cite this book:

Contemporary African American Theater: Afrocentricity in the Works of Larry Neal, Amiri Baraka, and Charles Fuller (Studies in African American History and Culture) by Ni Anadolu-Okur in Back Matter, and Index
A Companion to African-American Philosophy (Blackwell Companions to Philosophy) by Tommy L. Lott on page 85, and page 196
Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education by Louise Grinstein on page 208
Not Out Of Africa: How "Afrocentrism" Became An Excuse To Teach Myth As History (A New Republic book) by Mary Lefkowitz in Back Matter
Racism, Health, and Post-Industrialism: A Theory of African-American Health by Clovis E. Semmes in Back Matter

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

The African Origin of Civilization by Cheikh Anta Diop

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Patterns in Prehistory by Robert J. Wenke

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The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 7, Part 1 by F. W. Walbank

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	7% buy Destruction of Black Civilization : Great Issues of a Race from 4500 B.C to 2000 A.D. 4.3 out of 5 stars (54) $14.07
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Customer Reviews

24 Reviews

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

3.8 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece of scholarship, June 12, 1999

By A Customer

Diop demonstrates his multidisciplinary genius in this book. His scientific approach leaves no stone unturned, even when dealing with linguistics. He addresses so many topics, from the origins of civilisation to political and social organisation in ancient states. I especially treasure the chapters on Africa's contribution to humanity in sciences and philosophy. A real eye-opener. Mostly French speaking authors are referenced and critiqued though. It's a shame there aren't more African scholars following Diop's lines of research.

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16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting perspective on the origins of civilization, June 10, 1999

By	Randall J. Burns (Skamania County, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Civilization or Barbarism: An Authentic Anthropology (Hardcover)

I'd suggest this book to anyone who is reading recent books on the origins of civilization. What I liked about it is that Diop was bringing a wealth of research that was otherwise inaccessible to me to the this issue--and I found that I could connect this history to that of Europe and Britain using other resources that I have. the issue I have with is is that some of the work struck me as oriented to handling one set of politically motivated forms of anthropology that he found objectionable-but he didn't consider the work of a lot of other major authors (i.e. the work of Lewis Spence on connections between North Africa and Ancient Britain). I thought Diops criticisms of Gimubutus were especially interesting.

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18 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No wonder there is Racism!!!!, September 20, 2004

By	Knowledge (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

Reading this book, by a profound author by the name of Cheikh Anta Diop, as well as other great books by other great authors, leads one to understand why there is racism, for example Diop talks about life and how it started in Africa, beginning with Australopithecus,Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo Sabiens Sapiens then the Grimaldi Negro and the migration to Europe, you see Caucasians have only been in existence for about 20,00 years, and during Diops time they were denying that, and saying that Europe was the origin of life, and it was so racist during that time, that Anthropologist and Archaeologist got together and totally fabricated and created fake fossils better know as the "Piltdown Man, and even if you don't but this book do a engine search on that name (www.yahoo.com or www.google.com) and you will read about how hard racist tried to cover up the origin of history, the book also talks about how Arabs,Chinese,Latinos,Japanese, etc... came into existence, I wont spoil the beans for you but this is by far one of the best books that I have ever read, Diop does a good job with refuting racist philosophers, and one more note it is time for people to stop believing in His-Story and read real History, because you saw how they are still trying to depict Jesus like an European, and it clearly states in Rev 1:14,15 that he had woolly hair and bronze feet, so you see racism is still here Brothers and Sisters.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A NEW AFRICAN EGYPTOLOGY..........
Dr. Diop's great work CIVILIZATION OR BARBARISM is a very technical and sophisticated scholarly work. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Donald Peyton

5.0 out of 5 stars An Anthropological Guide to African History
For those who are serious about their African Studies, this is a must read. Cheikh Anta Diop's book serves as a guide for African Anthropology and in many regards African... Read more

Published 5 months ago by E. N. Gamble

5.0 out of 5 stars Civilization or Barbarism is still man's choice
If you have a 3 week open period in your life this book will enlighten you, make you question history, understand history, question religion, understand religion, question... Read more

Published 12 months ago by E. Polk

5.0 out of 5 stars Encyclopedic Proof
This book, although a challenging read, should be read by every person with an honest curiosity about the history of humanity as it relates to black Africa. Read more

Published on July 9, 2007 by Bryan Ellis

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't listen to reviews that don't actually talk about the book!
Funny how most of the 1 star reviewers never deal with the facts of whats stated in the book. Even if they do have valid issues, where are the counter references beyond, he (C. Read more

Published on July 9, 2006 by Anthony Stewart Jr.

5.0 out of 5 stars Disregard Lupa
The negative review preceding this one should be exposed for what it is. The pseudo intellectual ramblings of someone who probably didn't even read the book. Read more

Published on January 31, 2006 by www.neo-kem.com

1.0 out of 5 stars Black Senegalese glare?
Cheikh Anta Diop - civilization or barbarism ( an Authentic Anthropology )

Written as a genuine masterpiece of anthropological thought based on Africa it is... Read more

Published on January 8, 2006 by Lupa

1.0 out of 5 stars A waste of time and paper
In my retirement I have been spending time reading some books I never had a chance to read while I was working. Read more

Published on November 24, 2005 by Retired Sara

1.0 out of 5 stars A sad racist polemic
There's a great deal to be said for disrupting the Eurocentrism of historians and other scholars but Diop goes overboard into racist harangues. Read more

Published on March 18, 2005 by Chris from ABQ

5.0 out of 5 stars Astoundingly Afrikan!
There isn't much more to say on to the wonderful reviews posted by others here. I will say that this book helped changed my life along with Marimba Ani's "Let the Circle Be... Read more

Published on July 26, 2004 by Awotunde

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