Author: Charles C. Mann
Description (Audible): Traditionally, Americans learned in school that the ancestors of the people who inhabited the Western Hemisphere at the time of Columbus' landing had crossed the Bering Strait 12,000 years ago; existed mainly in small nomadic bands; and lived so lightly on the land that the Americas were, for all practical purposes, still a vast wilderness. But as Charles C. Mann now makes clear, archaeologists and anthropologists have spent the last 30 years proving these and many other long-held assumptions wrong.
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review: Fantastic book. This book as well as its sequel, 1493, should be required reading for anyone who wants to truly understand America (Northern, Central and Southern). I highly recommend this book.
Description (ChatGPT): 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus is a fascinating, mind-bending journey that shatters the myth of the "empty" New World. Charles C. Mann unpacks the pre-Columbian Americas with the enthusiasm of a treasure hunter, revealing sophisticated civilizations and ecosystems that were far more advanced than many of us ever imagined. From massive cities hidden in the Amazon rainforest to intricate trade networks stretching across the continent, Mann paints a picture of a continent teeming with life and complexity long before the arrival of Europeans. It’s history that feels more like a thrilling detective story—one where the clues are hidden in plain sight, waiting for someone to look with fresh eyes. In short: 1491 is the history lesson we didn’t get in school—and it’s about time we did.
