Book Description

Reviews (1)

Andybody Who Cares Should Read This
An excellent, excellent book in several ways. Anybody who cares - about society - conservative, moderate, or liberal should read this. All economists, political scientists, politicians, and students of these fields should read this book carefully. The Economist's Tale is a true morality play. It looks at the way economics plays out in real-life using the framework of food policy in Sierra Leone. The author is not against market forces - but as economic theory has recognized in the last few decades - markets work (or don't work) with many attendant frictions and imperfections. Unfortunately, in the tale told within this book, people die because of these frictions.

The Economist's Tale is also quite interesting and riveting as a read. It is also a quick read. One learns much about Sierra Leone among other non-economic subjects. It appears nobody else has rated this book yet - which tends to indicate that few people have read it - a sad state of affairs. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A concise yet comprehensive look at a fascinating continent
"Africa" is the companion volume to the recent PBS series of the same name, and like the series, is organized into eight parts, each one focusing on a particular geographical region of the continent. In clear, concise language, John Reader gives us the historical and geographical background of each area, the current economic and social structure, and the problems affecting the particular region. The photographs are mind-blowing; they are so gorgeous that they almost dominate the excellent text. The one disappointment, for one who has also seen the PBS series, is that the book doesn't follow the individual stories of people in depth as the PBS production did; however, no one who hasn't seen the TV production will miss it, and it in no way detracts from the overall value of the book. This is one book about the "dark continent" that does the continent, and its people, proud.

Outstanding introduction to Africa
This is an excellent book for anyone who might find Reader's earlier book "A Biography of the Continent" too much of a good thing. "Africa" explores many of the same themes and issues, but the information is arranged differently and there are more illustrations; this book is aimed at the educated lay-reader. Still it is an important and outstanding book. Reader is a good writer and his research and grasp of a myriad of disciplines related to his subject is impressive.

The story is told by geography: Savanna, Desert, Rain Forest, Mountains, Sahel, Great Lakes, Coast, Southern Africa. Being a "companion" to the PBS/NGS TV series there is some (but not much) focus on the people who appeared in the television documentaries. Mostly Reader tells the stories behind the story; his history of Africa is as much about the environmental, geographical, and physiological as merely chronological. For example, Reader tells why bananas and plantains are so important in African history; what makes camels so invaluable in the Sahara, how sickle cells and malaria are related, even the advantages and disadvantages of walking upright. Of course there is some in-this-year-such-and-such happened, but that is kept to a minimum. This "Africa" is not only an outstanding introduction to Africa, it should also be of interest to any Africanist.

The photographs by Michael Lewis are good enough to be a book of their own; they combine with Reader's well organized and informative text to make "Africa" an excellent portrait of the continent. Reader's "Biography of the Continent" is also highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

The Healing Drum traces the extraordinary cultural legacy of the Minianka tribe of West

Africa, for whom music serves a sacred, healing function for the individual and society. The authors explore the Minianka view of humanity, music, and the cosmos relative to work, celebration, herbal medicine, dance, trance, initiation, and death.

The first book of its kind, delivering a message of untapped wisdom and power from a little-known culture through the universal medium of music. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

inspiring
This book is about music, healing, indigenous view of life and above all, it is about harmony, which is achieved when life is lived with respect and with generosity.

Diallo is a member of the mainly agricultural Minianka/Senufo tribe living in what today is Mali. The Minianka have been able to resist the depredations which occur when Islam or X-ianity enters African societies; they are animist, that is, they still observe and follow ancient laws that emphsize the interdependence between humans, nature and the transcendent realms. Music to the Minianka music is much more than entertainment. It is used for work, celebration, ritual, inititations, funerals and healing; each activity (as well as each profession and each person) has its own special rhythms and harmonies. The MInianka understand music as a bridge between the visible and invisible. As such, it is used to establish harmonious relationships between an individual, his community, his ancestors and the Creator. Every night there is dancing at the village square - and EVERYBODY dances. Minianka musicians learn to transpose the essence of their fellow men's characters into music, so that when a villager gets to dance, he is greated by rhythms which match his/her character and emotional configuration. By observing closely, the musicians can adapt the music to the needs of the listener and thereby lead them to health. In Minianka villages, says Diallo, "musicians are healers, the healers musicians.... Music...amplifies to our sense the unheard tones and unseen waves that weave together the matter of existence. The beat, the rhythm, the timing, the orchestration, the flow, the balance between action and rest must all be within well-defined limits...and the music becomes a healing art that helps restore emotionally and psychologically disturbed people to harmonious human functioning. "

THe book is well written and brings us a close -up of Fienso, the village of Diallo's childhood. I found the descriptions of initiation ceremonies, daily work, secret societies very interesting. It made me see the Minianka society as an extremely sophisticated - where there is place for everyone and where everybody is interconnected in a web of mutual obligations between people, spirits and God. Unfortunately, the interdependence on mutual obligations makes the African society also fragile; when reciprocity inherent in such webs is interrupted, as during incursions of oil and diamond money, radical X-ianity or Islam, the African society collapses and we get what we see today in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Liberia or Sudan - lack of harmony and lack of peace.

Still, we would be fools to pass the opportunity to learn what Africans have to teach us. Music is one of the keys that can open the door of the gilded cage in which the giant of industrial nihilism has imprisoned us and Yaya Diallo shows us in this wonderful book, that it is possible to open one's body, spirit and destiny to the amazing world of harmony and beauty where true healing occurs.

The Healing Drum Helped Me
"The Healing Drum: African Wisdom teachings" by YaYa Diallo and Mitchell Hall offers an introspective view into the Minianka culture of Mali. As an African-American student, this book helped me to understand a lot about myself. For example, YaYa explains that in his culture, musicians have a responsibility for the affect that the music has on it's listeners. "In my culture, art is allied with morality." (94)We in the West have debated the issue of the artist's responsibility for some time now. As an aspiring actress and writer, my belief has always been that we have are responsible for the messages we send through our art. YaYa explains that music can not only heal, but also can hurt. This is evident in the complacent attitude of many of today's rap artists and it's consumers. YaYa also expounds on some of the differences between the value of time and structure in Minanka culture vs. the same concept in the West. Understanding this element of an African culture allowed me to realize that I am not as crazy as many of my peers and professsors would have me to believe. YaYa's description of the late-night festivals helped me to understand why I can stay up all night and sleep all day sometimes.
I was offended by one review which stated that YaYa's book describes Minankas as drug addicts. His description of the Minianka's use of herbs and medicines to heal is no different or worse than the Western philosophy of popping pills to make troubles disappear, i.e, prozac, ridalin, sleeping pills, etc. YaYa also emphasizes the importance of music in the healing process, and his descriptions of instances in which music was used to heal in his culture are both moving and sincere.
In light of American's recent "liberation" of Iraq, it was also interesting to read YaYa's description of the French colonization of Mali. "The French glorified their colonization of large parts of Africa as a 'mission civilsatirce', a civilizing mission...The textbooks spoke of Africa rarely enough and then only referred pejoratively to the 'natives', not the human beings who belonged to our continent." (120)
It has been long understood in the elevated members of my own culture, that Africa and America are inextricably connected. I believe a closer look at the statement above could easily be related to the reluctance of many Black youth in America to take an interest in formal education. The teachings in this book are, in many cases, universal and, in most cases, interesting and inspirational. YaYa Diallo tells his story with simplicistic eloquence,humor, and wisdom. The book offers much in the way of history and parables, without beating you over the head. Mitchell Hall has done an excellent job of translation.
I was required to read this book for an African Dance class I was taking at the University of Louisville. For any person who is interested in learning more about music, Minianka culture, or the world, I would highly recommend YaYa Diallo and Mitchell Hall's "The Healing Drumm", and for anyone in Louisville, I encourage you to take Harlina Churn Diallo's African Dance class. Bring out the Drums!

Inspirational
I wanted to read this book because I have recently started learning African drumming and I wished to find out more about West African culture and how traditional music is used to heal. This was the perfect book for both aspects.

The author helps us to appreciate the culture of his village through his own experiences. We read about his struggles to follow the customs and teachings of his village as he is educated in French culture and taught to embrace the Western way of life.

We also gain an insight into the secret societies and social aspects of life in his village. Suspend disbelief at some of the awesome sights that he relates, I only wish that I could see them for myself! The sociological, psychological and religious knowledge that he reveals about his community is fascinating.

Yaya shows us that a musician in this culture does not just "play" music, music is a vital aspect of life which sustains the society and heals lost souls. The musician is a healer and a protector of the people. Each piece of music has implications, positive or negative, and the musician has a responsibility to the community to play well and appropriately.

This book has helped me to gain an insight into African culture and music; from now on my djembe playing will have more significance for me and I feel inspired by the healing potential that I now hold in my hands.

Inspiring look at a traditional healing modality
Having experienced the power and wisdom of traditional African healers, I was glad to see that Yaya took great efforts to convey the potency derived from following ancient traditions. His life story, like many other traditionalists living in the west, is one that is inspiring given all the efforts he and his tribal elders make to keep their old ways alive in the face of pressures to modernize.

As a student of cross-cultural and shamanic traditions I found this book provides clarity into the use of music and sound for enhancing and stimulating healing, as well as the need to gain sufficient mastery before using this healing modality.

El Diablo
Diallo returns with this ham-fisted, hackneyed attempt to breathe life into a terminally ill genre. It's not just the Minianka people he is offending with his smug condescensions but the entire African nation as a whole. As a drum playing black man I am shocked and dismayed at this portrayal of African tribesmen as bongo beating, drug-taking animals.
The chapter describing the touching story of the lost crocodile necklace was, however, intensely moving, and as such saved this book from a more damning review. ... Read more

Book Description

The Birds of East Africa is the first comprehensive field guide to this spectacular region. Small and compact, the guide covers a remarkable 1388 species, and three experienced artists have painstakingly prepared 287 plates with almost 3400 images illustrating all the plumages and major races likely to be encountered. Set opposite the plates are concise descriptive accounts dealing with identification, status, habits and voice, and range maps. Background sections include notes on how to use the species accounts, nomenclature, conservation, where to send records, and maps of protected and other important bird areas.

Includes:

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An overview of East African birds
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East African environment
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Seasonality
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Plumage
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Species accounts
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Common alternative names
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Conservation and threatened species
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The local scene
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Glossary, references, and an index

Key Features:

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Small and compact
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Comprehensive species
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All distinctive plumages and races illustrated
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Color plates
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Illustrations
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All species ranges mapped
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Key protected and important bird areas mapped

Reviews (4)

a good start - but a thorough review is in order
I used this field guide during my recent trip to Kenya and Uganda. Although it is by all means an excellent fieldguide I do have some remarks. A number of the plates contained errors, suggesting the artists didn't see these birds in the field. I realise it is virtually impossible for artists to see all species featured in a book such as this in the field, so that a lot of plates are drawn from skins. It is important however to use skins from the region itself, this may make a lot of difference. We came to the conclusion that for a number of species skins from west Africa were used. Especially the greenbuls had some misleading plates. For a number of species the Kenyan Zimmerman-book is probably better, although those plates lack in other respects.
In addition a number of the maps were incorrect, especially for Uganda.
Still, if you go to the region for birding, make sure to get this book, because it is definitely the best field guide around.

The perfect field guide!
This book really sets a very high standard and we can only hope other parts of the world's tropics will get similar guides in due time. The plates are just about as superb as one could possibly wish for. When you compare this book with the new field guides that have recently come out for South America, it seems like there are two worlds! Just compare the flamingos, the osprey, or the parrots with the pictures you find in "The Field Guide to the Birds of Peru" and you know what I mean! There is also an excellent lay-out, with helpful concise text and useful range maps all neatly placed together. And the book is still amazingly compact.

Fabulous new East African bird book.
After years of having one of the world's worst bird books, East Africa now has two of the best. The Zimmerman/Turner book on Kenya and Northern Tanzania, the work of 30 years, set a new standard of scholarship and illustration. This book draws on that one, but is even better for the tourist and field birder. It covers all of Uganda and Tanzania, as well as Rwanda and Burundi. It is smaller and lighter to carry. And the illustrations and their placement in related groups on the same page are simply outstanding. This is one of the best bird books in the world and will dominate the market for years to come.

Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa is superb!!
I think I have all the guides to the birds of East Africa in the last 30 years, but this most recent by Terry Stevenson and John Fanshawe is certainly the most comprehensive, artistically excellent and usable. Ber van Perlo's Collins Illustrated Checklist "Birds of Eastern Africa" is smaller and lighterweight but no comparison, nor intended to be, in description or plate detail. This new volume, with a 2002(!) publication date has amongst the best plates and abbreviated descriptions, in my opinion, ever published in a comparable volume on birds. Artists John Gale and Brian Small are fabulous (Norman Arlott lacks their skills, but does his subjects justice as well). It is a exceedingly worthwhile complement to Dale Zimmerman's larger format "Birds of Kenya and northern Tanzania" and includes all of Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi as well. Don't miss this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

Fine words that counted for nothing
After all the fine words and 'never agains' the truth is out. Genocide will slip right in front of major organs of news and nothing happens to stop it.
This short but detailed account of the Rwanda genocide 1994 is both low-key and shocking and needs examination.

Is anyone interested in Rwanda?
Probably, the story of Rwandan genocide is the most shocking international scandal of the post World War II era. The book is a brilliant reconstruction of that time, written with amazing clarity and based on well established facts.
In three months of 1994 about one million people was killed in organised genocide. The killing rate was five times faster than that achieved by the Nazis during WWII holocaust. But on the contrary to the Nazis, the Rwandan genocide happened in the full light of the international media, with the full knowledge of the UN Security Council and the Western governments.
Linda Melvern describes and documents in detail the role of the West in the genocide.
The story is so bad that almost all of the publishers in the UK refused to publish this book with comments like "the story is really too awful" or "I cannot see people forking out money to read about such an unspeakable subject..."

Do you think you can fork out some money for the truth? I think this book is certainly worth any money.

A People Betrayed
'Quite extraordinary: precise, and yet overwhelming; a fine balance in the face of depravity... Linda Melvern has written an extraordinary account of the Rwanda genocide, and the shocking failure of the West to lift a finger... What Melvern demonstrates so powerfully is that where Western geopolitical interests are absent, Western morality and 'civilised' concerns are nowhere to be found ... A brave and compelling book.' - Professor Richard Falk, Center of International Studies, Princeton University

'This is a devastating account of lies, deceit, complacency and tragic neglect.... All we can hope is that this fine book will provide lessons for the future, because it provides all of us who lobby and campaign for early warning systems and conflict prevention with invaluable evidence. Looking around the world, you wonder what has been learnt since 1994. Linda Melvern deserves our thanks for investing so much in breaking the silence and revealing the truth.' - Glenys Kinnock, MEP; Chair, Forum on Early Warning And Early Response (FEWER)

'What happened in Rwanda is one of the most appalling, heartbreaking tragedies that the world has known. Why did it occur? And what more could have been done to prevent it? This serious, very thorough attempt to answer those questions will be essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand what happened. This is a powerful and important book.' - The Right Reverend Richard Harries, Bishop of Oxford

'A riveting and well-researched account of the horrendous crimes committed in Rwanda while an indifferent world, to its shame, looked the other way. There are grim lessons here for everyone, from international statesmen and politicians to responsible citizens and decent human beings everywhere' - Dame Margaret Anstee

'This is a very important book. It is a book that a large number of people should read....what is good about the book is that it shows the big picture. It shows the failure that actually took place. It tells the story of what really happened. An outstandingly good book... ...compelling.....its content is exceptional.' - Colin Keating, Secretary for Justice, New Zealand Ministry of Justice, and former New Zealand Ambassador to the UN ... Read more

Book Description

A revolutionary book that explains the most enigmatic and fascinating wonder of the ancient world: the Pyramids of Egypt. "[An] absorbing and fascinating work of archaeological detection...clearly and rivetingly told...the book is highly and compulsively readable."--London Sunday Times. 16-page black-and-white inserts. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

This was the most facinating book I've ever read.
I thought that The Orion Mystery was very facinating. I have always liked ancient mysteries and what they are connected to, kinds of books. This book proposed a specifically interesting mystery. The book was about a group of pyramids from Egypt's forth dynasty. It said that the group of pyramids coincided with the orion constellation. It also says that the pyramids are on the exact position of the stars in this particular constellation. The Benben stone that the egyptians believe to be linked to the creation of the world was also in these pyramids. I believe that The Orion Mystery made me want to keep reading and also to read other books to keep finding out about these pyramids in Egypt. I found myself unable to put it down. I liked this book because it did not propose anything inpossible but something that you could actually believe. I think that if you like this sort of mystery or like to here about Egyption findings I think you will definately find that you like this book.

Alternative insight spark new interest in pyramids
For those who are interested in the pyramids, this book cut across very strong conventional thinking of what they are thought to be and sprout new insights into their purpose. For those who support the underdogs, the story of the obstacles the author faced to bring us this alternative insight is also worth reading about. After first reading this book in 1994, my interest in the pyramids was rekindled and my suspicion of their purpose lifted slightly. My sixth sense have always told me that the pyramids are not just tombs, even for pharaohs. To view them as a stellar temples are more "acceptable conventionally". Are we a step closer to finding out the truth about the pyramids? I remember a time what someone suggest that the earth is round when the catholic church believe that it is flat. Perhaps, we are heading in the right direction this time. I first read about the Pyramid Text in this book.

AMAZING
Next to Grahm Hancock, Robert Bauval is the creme de la creme of astro-archeology.

Everything you thought you knew about the pyramids is WRONG.

In the future the work of Bauval and Hancock is the marker that determines our understanding of ancient works like The Great Pyramid.

We are in a 'new age' of understanding our past thanks to the works of geniuses like Bauval and Hancock.

AMAZING

The importance of having purpose.
What was the purpose behind building the pyramids? I know. Why do archeologists feel compelled to drill thru every door leading to secret rooms within pyramids? I know the purpose behind that as well. More importantly I know that unless you wish to end up like Atlantis and every other ancient civilization that being vanished and vanquished you will remove urselves from all juxtapositions against pyramids. Ur better off rock or mountain climbing. Don't tell me I didn't tell u so! Does the book address these issues?

An interesting read with new and fresh ideas!
I find "THE ORION MYSTERY" an interesting book, and was quite hard to put down after reading the 1st chapter. Robert Bauval introduces new revolutionary theories that the Egyptians were not a heliocentric (solar-based) culture but an astral (star-based) one. Also included in his book are interesting details of the Upuaut 2 robotic exploration of the shafts in the Great Pyramid of Khufu. His writing was very down-to-earth and not confusing or scientific - a wonderful book for anyone interested in Egypt and the pyramids. ... Read more

Book Description

Why was the UN a bystander during the Rwandan genocide? Do its sins of omission leave it morally responsible for the hundreds of thousands of dead? Michael Barnett, who worked at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations from 1993 to 1994, covered Rwanda for much of the genocide. Based on his first-hand experiences, archival work, and interviews with many key participants, he reconstructs the history of the UN’s involvement in Rwanda. In the weeks leading up to the genocide, the author documents, the UN was increasingly aware or had good reason to suspect that Rwanda was a site of crimes against humanity. Yet it failed to act. Barnett argues that its indifference was driven not by incompetence or cynicism but rather by reasoned choices cradled by moral considerations. Employing a novel approach to ethics in practice and in relationship to international organizations, Barnett offers an unsettling possibility: the UN culture recast the ethical commitments of well-intentioned individuals, arresting any duty to aid at the outset of the genocide. Barnett argues that the UN bears some moral responsibility for the genocide. Particularly disturbing is his observation that not only did the UN violate its moral responsibilities, but also that many in New York believed that they were "doing the right thing" as they did so. Barnett addresses the ways in which the Rwandan genocide raises a warning about this age of humanitarianism and concludes by asking whether it is possible to build moral institutions. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Superb Account of the UN Role in Rwanda
As stated above, Barnett was a staffer on the U.S. Mission to the U.N. in 1994 and thus had a first hand view of the workings/failure of the Secretariat, the Security Council, the United Nations and the international community as a whole.

Unlike so many other books about Rwanda, Barnett refuses to simply write off the UN or the international community as uncaring or unconcerned about the unfolding genocide in Rwanda. Rather, he shows that those involved were deeply concerned but trapped by their own rules and internal bureaucratic logic, leading eventually to paralysis and inaction.

Coming fast on the heels of Somalia and Bosnia, Rwanda was left to implode because everyone involved operated on a logical/ethical plane seemingly far removed from the actual humanitarian crisis on the ground. With the UN overstretched and concerned about its reputation/survival, the members states of the security council unwilling to send troops or supplies into a raging anarchy, and UN rules dictating when peacekeeping and intervention were justified, Rwanda was left to fend for itself.

Barnett does a great job of presenting the facts and their corresponding arguments and explaining just how impossible a situation the UN was facing. As he says, none of this justifies UN inaction, but it does help us to understand how and why the world stood by as nearly 1 million people were slaughtered.

This book would not serve as a good introduction of the genocide itself, as the focus is really on the United Nations and its handling of the situation. If it is the actual genocide you want to learn about, read another book ("We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families" is a great introduction, as is Fergal Keane's "Season of Blood.") But if you want to understand how and why the international community so gravely failed Rwanda, this is the best book available. ... Read more

Book Description

At the temple of Kom Ombo near Aswan, an enigmatic frieze depicts the deified pharaoh Imhotep receiving a set of elaborate implements, some of which strikingly resemble modern surgical instruments: side by side with eye-of-Horus amulets one finds what surely must be forceps. Evidence of the medical practice of ancient Egypt has come down to us not only in pictorial art but also in papyrus scrolls, in funerary inscriptions, and in the mummified bodies of ancient Egyptians themselves.

Bruno Halioua and Bernard Ziskind provide a comprehensive account of pharaonic medicine that is illuminated by what modern science has discovered about the lives (and deaths) of people from all walks of life--farmers, fishermen, miners, soldiers, scribes and priests, embalmers, construction workers, bakers, prostitutes. From mummies and medical papyri we are able to recognize the aches of osteoarthritis, imagine the occupational hazards faced by press-ganged stonemasons, and learn of the gynecological complaints of courtesans. In presenting these stories Halioua and Ziskind throw light on some of the most enduring questions about life and death in antiquity: about physicians whose skills predate Hippocrates by twenty-five centuries and were first made famous by Homer; about the remedies and techniques they employed, at once strange and strangely familiar; about the men, women, and children they treated; and about the diseases and injuries they were called upon to heal.

Book Description

Early Civilizations of the Old World traces the development of civilization in Egypt, the Levant, Mesopotamia, India and China from before the Neolithic period to the emergence of the State. The ecological and economic background to growth, geographical factors, cross-cultural intersection and the rise of urbanism are examined in each case, explaining how particular forms of social structure and cultural interaction developed.

In its broad scope and comparative approach this accessible volume is an ideal introduction to the birth of civilization from the Mediterranean to the Far East. This volume challenges the traditional assumption of a band-tribe-chiefdom-state sequence in the development of civilization. It demonstrates that large complex societies can flourish without social classes and the state, as dramatically shown by the Indus civilization, and presents new evolutionary mechanisms. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent but only for scholars
I feel attracted by the comparative scope of this book. After reading it, I come to the conclusion that it was written by a scholar for other scholars, because of two features: i) excellent content, showing the state of the art, and offering its own very interesting synthesis on the matter, combined with; ii) extremely arid form, which full and deadly boring detail of archeological sites. Both thing are truth, therefore I have rated the book as 3 , because its content deserves 5 starts but because if its dryness only 1. Therefore, if you are extremely interested in the subject, buy for your illustration, not to enjoy the reading. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

One of a Kind
Step into any bookstore in South Africa and you'll see that the country is awash in social science literature (most of which is ephemeral and undigestible) while sorely lacking in modern histories that put post-apartheid events and developments in a framework for intelligent general readers. This book is a notable and admirable exception. Written by a leading South African journalist and non-academic historian, it's a readable, comprehensive overview of modern South Africa, with chapters on economics, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the ANC's performance in office, HIV/AIDS, race relations, and more. The judgments are balanced and Sparks weaves together anecdotes and analysis in the best journalistic fashion. The book ably reflect his decades of reporting on South Africa.

The only real deficiencies are the lack of "inside" information on the ANC and Spark's failure to convincingly explain the paradoxes swirling around President Thabo Mbeki, a university-trained economist who is undeniably brilliant but whose crackpot medical theories have hamstrung effots to fight HIV/AIDS and have made South Africa the laughingstock of the scientific world. These gaps are at the center of the book (hence my rating of four stars) but probably aren't Sparks' fault: although the ANC now presides over a democratic state, it spent decades in underground resistance to apartheid, and remains highly secretive and quick to punish members who speak out against the party line. I'm not sure whether anyone outside of the party's inner circle truly knows what makes Mbeki & company tick.

In contrast, the chapters on the media sparkle with first-hand accounts of mismanagement and internecine rivalry. If only Sparks' had been able to write comparably illuminating chapters on the ANC!

I'm an American living in Johannesburg.

An excellent read.
Sparks has written a winner with Beyond the Miracle. With the exception of one or two niggling errors, it is thoroughly researched, littered with pertinent observations and unfailingly readable. Perhaps most importantly it offers a commendably balanced view of the successes and failures of post-apartheid South Africa. As a white South African I was simultaneously surprised and encouraged by much of the book's content. Although, due to the wide variety of topics looked at, it isn't particularly comprehensive, I would still recommend it as essential reading for anyone with an interest in South Africa. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Suspicion naturally arises when you read a promo line on a back cover that says, "This is the most important book concerning the Great Pyramid written in the last 20 years." In this case, however, it may be fact. In writing The Giza Power Plant, mechanical engineer Christopher Dunn reverse-engineered the Great Pyramid at Giza to discover its use. His startling conclusions blow the heck out of traditional Egyptology's rather silly notions that it was built with copper tools by a society that lacked the wheel. While revisionist pyramid studies are rife with ridiculous theories that give the topic a bad name, The Giza Power Plant takes into account existing fact and artifact without having to rely on unprovable assertions. A must-read for truth seekers who aren't afraid to consider the idea that Western culture of the 21st century may not be the pinnacle of human evolution and achievement. --P. Randall Cohan ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Buries the Pyramid-as-tomb theory once and for all!
Christopher Dunn has written a tremendous book--far and away the best work about the Great Pyramid in the last 25 years. Using his background as a master machinist and engineer, Chris has seen the Great Pyramid as it really was and is, a magnificent structure built by master craftspeople (scientists and engineers) to be a practical device, a power plant. Chris explains why it was built so precisely, why the particular materials were used and how advanced machining and techniques had to be employed to accomplish the task. Anyone interested in recovery of ancient wisdom, understanding how the Great Pyramid could not possible have been originally designed and built as a tomb for a king, and interested in the concepts of sacred geometry, acoustical harmonic resonance theories and the great knowledge of the Ancient Khemitians (Egyptians) must read this book!

Dunn buries the pyramid-as-tomb theory once and for all!
Christopher Dunn has written a tremendous book--far and away the best work about the Great Pyramid in the last 25 years. Using his background as a master machinist and engineer, Chris has seen the Great Pyramid as it really was and is, a magnificient structure built by master craftspeople (scientists and engineers) to be a practical device, a power plant. Chris explains why it was built so precisely, why the particular materials were used and how advanced machining and techniques had to be employed to accomplish the task. Anyone interested in the recovery of ancient wisdom, understanding how the Great Pyramid could not possibly have been originally designed and built as a tomb for a king, and interested in concepts of sacred geometry, acoustical harmonic resonance theories and the great knowledge of the Ancient Khemitians (Egyptians) must read this book!

Lets make this book a Discovery channel show!
I can't believe the discovery channel or TLC hasn't done a special on this book. It would be one of the greatest shows they've done. Lets email them to get a show on this book!

Critical Thinker
The facts are quite simple. Even in its ruined state today, the pyramid produces measurable induction, and the granite in the "King's chamber" can be easily displayed to resonate sympathetically with the Earth's geo-mechanics.

So we can cut through all of the ideological arguments and simplify it thus:

1. The Egyptians (or someone else) accidentally built a nearly perfect geo-mechanical power collection center (which exceeds even our current state of technology) and ignorantly used it as a temple or a tomb.

2. The Egyptians (or someone else) intentionally built a nearly perfect geo-mechanical power collection center, presumably to generate power for some purpose.

It's up to you to decide. The builders of the Giza pyramid were either extremely lucky and ignorant, or they were extremely brilliant. They either built the most amazingly complex structure on Earth with advanced techniques or with slave labor. Some people choose to believe the latter because a Charlton Heston movie says they should; others choose to believe the former because every principle of science and engineering dictates that by necessity they must have. Whichever you choose will be based upon your own inherent ideology, unique world view, and rational facilities (or lack thereof).

I suspect the religionists of the world will go with #1, as everyone clearly knows that before Christianity the world was "dark and ignorant" and that the Christians "brought light to the world." Gee with 80% of us in the West being Judeo-Christian it's no wonder why there is so much reluctance to accept well articulated theories that some ancient cultures were highly advanced...that would contradict our Holy Bible and we can't have that. Oh yes and the Babylonians accidentally developed batteries. Obviously they were simply clay mugs used to drink orange juice out of; it is merely blind coincidence that they just happen to have all of the requisite parts of the proper composition inside of them because that added to the flavor of the orange juice. And the solder alloy they used just randomly happens to be the most effective mixture known to humankind today. Again, it just added to the flavor of the orange juice; clearly it has nothing to do with its superior properties of conduction.

We in the West can be so blind in our arrogance.

Great Book!
Buy it... it's worth the money. The author covers every detail beautifully and by the end of the book you'll believe. I've heard dozens of explanations for the pyramids... but none as unusual and strangely accurate as this one. Who would have thought?? ... Read more

Book Description

Riveting first-hand account of the long and arduous search by journalist/adventurer Henry Stanley for one of the great explorers of the 19th century. A real-life adventure story that tells of incredible hardships--disease, hostile natives, tribal warfare, impenetrable swamps and jungles, and other obstacles. Also includes a wealth of information on African peoples, tribal customs and rituals, and plant and animal life. 1 map.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Victorian time-travel
This is a great book for those who would like to experience how Victorian men viewed Africa as well as what a great safari would have involved. As it is a day-by-day account, some of the geographical descriptions feel a little repetitive, but can be skimmed over without detracting from the story.It would be a great mistake to judge Stanley too critically by modern standards,however, or you may end up hating it from the beginning and getting nothing from it. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent resource and the best book in its field
I happened upon this book while visiting the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, and it is well worth every penny. Copious full color photographs illustrate the many types of jewelry worn by the Ancient Egyptians, both in life and as funerary pieces. Manufacturing techniques are also discussed somewhat, and the Egyptian names for items are also provided. This superb reference is not only a great replacement for the out-of-print "Jewels of the Pharaohs" by Cyril Aldred, it surpasses this earlier work by providing much more detail and information.

excellent and well documented study
I have met the author personally when taking a class through a Stanford Univ. graduate program and was impressed with her background and extensive knowledge of Egyptology and jewelery. As a gemologist and lifelong student of Egyptology, I could recommend this book on its contents alone, but the author, herself, is extraordinary.

Beautiful and informative look at Egyptian jewelry designs.
This is a beautiful book. The pictures and stories of the jewelry are fascinating. It is a great resource for the craftsperson interested in Egyptian styles or for anyone interested in Ancient Egypt or creative jewelry design. ... Read more

Book Description

A provocative thesis that the historical Jesus was connected to the royal 18th dynasty of Egypt.

• Contends that Jesus, Joshua, and Tutankhamun were the same person.

• Provides evidence from church documentation, the Koran, the Talmud, and archaeology that the Messiah came more than a millennium before the first century C.E.

• Shows that Christianity evolved from Essene teachings.

Although it is commonly believed that Jesus lived during the first century C.E., there is no concrete evidence to support this fact from the Roman and Jewish historians who would have been his contemporaries. The Gospel writers themselves were of a later generation, and many accounts recorded in the Old Testament and Talmudic commentary refer to the coming of the Messiah as an event that had already occurred.

Using the evidence available from archaeology, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Koran, the Talmud, and biblical sources, Ahmed Osman provides a compelling case that both Jesus and Joshua were one and the same--a belief echoed by the early Church Fathers--and that this person was likewise the pharaoh Tutankhamun, who ruled Egypt between 1361 and 1352 B.C.E. and was regarded as the spiritual son of God. Osman contends that the Essene Christians--who followed Jesus' teachings in secret after his murder--only came into the open following the execution of their prophet John the Baptist by Herod, many centuries later. Yet it was also the Essenes who, following the death of Tutankhamun and his father Akhenaten (Moses), secretly kept the monotheistic religion of Egypt alive. The Essenes believed themselves to be the people of the New Covenant established between their Lord and themselves by the Teacher of Righteousness, who was murdered by a wicked priest. The Dead Sea Scrolls support Osman's contention that this Teacher of Righteousness was in fact Jesus. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

excellent coverage of Valley of the Kings
This book gives readers a tour through the history and archaeology of the Valley of the Kings. The authors provide much detailed information about the tombs and treasures of Egypt's greatest pharaohs. Including many illustrations in color and black-and-white, the authors discuss the Egyptian belief in the afterlife, tomb robberies and the discovery of tombs. It also looks at the topography of the Valley's sites, their construction and history. A most excellent source of information for everyone.

Once again, Reeves et al hit the mark!
This volume is filled with great information. I could not imagine touring the Valley of the Kings without having read a similar book. Full of facts and anecdotes, this is an indispensable reference for amateur Egpytologists. Many scholarly works have been written on the various tombs in the Valley, but those sorts of journals are not easily accessed by the general public. Reeve's book serves as a great index and introduction. Each location is thoroughly but briefly summarized. The illustrations, both photographic and drawn, are well produced. Many books on Ancient Egpyt are much more beautiful (and expensive!), but the information presented here is hard to beat.

excellent
Excellent book, if you are interest in ancient egypt, read this book, you'll learn a lot of interesting facts about the valley of the kings, the pharaohs, etc..

A True Complete Book on the Valley of the Kings
It is the best book on the Valley of the Kings. In it you can find not just information but a treasure, a treasure showing the magnificent treasures of ancient Egypt.

Almost completely perfect
The Complete Valley of the Kings is a very well-researched, well-written, well-illustrated, and well-organized book. Everything from the topographic and the geologic maps of the valley through the religious and archeological history of the valley were interesting (and sometimes depressing, considering what some of those early adventurers and so-called scholars did to the place). The information on the dismantling of the Valley at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st Dynasty was especially interesting. Of course, the stars of the book were the tombs themselves. The architecture, decoration and history of each tomb is given as fully as possible. My only reservation in regards to this book lies in the authors having made up their minds on the identity of the controversial mummy in KV55 and airily dismissing as unimportant any evidence that contradicts their theory. Such inflexible partiality calls for a cautious approach to any other "definite" conclusions the authors draw. Otherwise, the book is inarguably informative and entertaining, except for the fact that the authors consistently and annoyingly use the Greek forms of the pharaoh's names (such as the Greek Sethos instead of Seti). Other than that, the book really is almost completely perfect. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Haile Selassie, His Most Puissant Majesty and Distinguished Highness the Emperor of Ethiopia, enjoyed a 44-year reign until his own army gave him the boot in 1974. In the days following the coup, the Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski traveled to Ethiopia and sought out members of the imperial court for interviews.

His composite portrait of Selassie's crumbling imperium is an astonishing, wildly funny creation, beginning with the very first interview. "It was a small dog," recalls an anonymous functionary, "a Japanese breed. His name was Lulu. He was allowed to sleep in the Emperor's great bed. During various ceremonies, he would run away from the Emperor's lap and pee on dignitaries' shoes. The august gentlemen were not allowed to flinch or make the slightest gesture when they felt their feet getting wet. I had to walk among the dignitaries and wipe the urine from their shoes with a satin cloth. This was my job for ten years." (Well, it's a living.)

Elsewhere, the interviewees venture into tragic or grotesque or downright unbelievable terrain. Kapuscinski has shaped their testimonies into an eloquent whole, and while he never alludes to the totalitarian regime that ruled his native Poland during the same period, the analogy is impossible to ignore. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Truth is stranger (and better) than fiction.
Reading this nonfiction account of Haile Selassie's long goodbye, the reader soon shares the sentiments expressed in the book by some Ethiopian students, "My God, how can anything like this exist?" Kapuscinski's assembled witnesses tell tales of a bizarre and surreal empire no writer of fiction could ever imagine. This book is filled with memorable and evocative passages - scenes of rag-clad beggars fighting for scraps from the opulent banquet going on just feet away; of once-dignified and imperious courtiers squabbling over blankets as they wait to be dragged away to prison by the members of a military junta; and, most pathetically, of a washed-up and defeated emperor hiding his money in a set of holy books and under a carpet to prevent it from being taken away to be "nationalized." While this is ostensibly the story of Haile Selassie's fall from power, excised of names, places and dates it becomes the story of any dictator's seedy demise. As such it makes an interesting companion to Gabriel Garcia Marquez's classic, "The Autumn of the Patriarch," another powerful work on the decay of dicatorial authority. At turns humorous and horrifying, amusing and appaling, ridiculous and realistic, "The Emperor" makes worthy and unforgettable reading, both as history and as great literature

excellent treatment of an autocratic regime
Ryszard Kapuscinski's ability to get "inside" the foreign conflicts he covers is quite remarkable.

In "The Emperor," Kapuscinski details the rise and fall of Ethiopian King Haile Selassie who, for nearly his entire reign, was regarded as a god on earth by his people. In stark prose and devastating imagery, Kapuscinski lays out the excesses of the Selassie regime - excesses that ultimately led to Selassie being overthrown. In one particularly moving passage, Kapuscinski describes how leftover food from a regal banquet is thrown down from a window in the King's mansion to starving townspeople nearby. In that passage, Kapuscinski lays out the line between the lavishness in which Selassie basked and the squalor in which most of his subjects existed.

Arguably, the single greatest aspect of Kapuscinski as a journalist is his healthy respect for -- and knowledge of when to provide - the history of the place he's covering. In "The Emperor," Kapuscinski provides sufficient background on the Ethiopian conception of rulers as deities, as well as good detail about the wholesale slaughter of Ethiopians during the war with Italy in 1935. But he doesn't overdo it with the history, and that's what makes Kapuscinski's writing so good. As his later books, such as "Imperium," about the fall of the Soviet Union, show, Kapuscinski is a much better reporter than he is a historian. When he is writing about wars, revolts, uprisings, or other events he is witnessing firsthand, Kapuscinski is at his best.

Of all the works Kapuscinski produced during his years with the Warsaw News Agency, "The Emperor" is probably the best. As with "Another Day of Life," Kapuscinski's book about the Angolan Civil War, "The Emperor" lays bare a tyrannical political regime, and provides insights into why it collapsed.

Eyewitness to a Strange History
This is a very unique book presenting a seemingly casual investigation of the last days of Haile Selassie's reign in Ethiopia. Note that this is not a history of Ethiopia or Selassie's reign, so prior knowledge on these subjects would be an advantage. Kapuscinski offers clandestine interviews with members of the Emperor's court and ministries, as they watched the slow and rather bizarre downfall of the autocrat. While non-Ethiopians often see Selassie as an enlightened visionary and Moses-like leader of his people, the reality was much different closer to home. Here we find an entrenched demagogue more concerned with preserving his power with little knowledge of the lives of his subjects. He surrounded himself with yes-men with the same self-preserving motives, and like any fading dictator he regularly purged anyone even remotely connected to independent thinkers. In one interview, a member of the court regrets sending his son to college, as the young man became infested with ideas that were not loyal to the Emperor, though they were probably accurate. Kapuscinski's anonymous subjects underhandedly point out their leader's faults while constantly heaping titles on him like "His Enlightened Majesty" or "His Benevolent Highness." This indicates the leader's cult of personality and his employees' pathological fear of losing his favor. We then see the classic fall of an out-of-touch despot, as he was ousted in one of the weirdest revolutions of all time. This unique book seems like lightweight reporting at the surface, but ultimately offers numerous lessons in power and corruption, and Selassie's story offers many parallels for autocrats around the world and throughout history. [~doomsdayer520~]

The secret is out
Kapuscinski is one of the best at this type of writing...and perhaps THE best writer on Africa in general. The Emperor is easy to read and will not bog you down with page after page of boring political details.

This is my favorite Kapuscinski book. The style is totally unique and the people of Ethopia will owe the author a debt of gratitude for recording the history held within. For example.....the author found and interviewed the only person (his butler/servant) to be with the Emperor during the last weeks of his reign. He found the servant in hiding and he must have been very old.

Through a series of interviews with the palace staff....the writer paints a complete picture of what the Emporer was like and what it was like for the dignitaries and servants that had to compete for his favor. I didn't realize the quality of what I had read until I completed the book and then I continued to reflect on it for weeks.

I wish I could give the book 6 stars.

Excellent work
Great work with very vivid descriptions of the Haile Sellasie's times and downfall.Can be enjoyed by readers with little or no familiarity with Ethiopia just as well as those who are well versed with Ethiopian history. ... Read more

Book Description

Ancient Egyptian antiquities are dominated by art and artifacts depicting the Netherworld, the alternate universe which mummified bodies would enter at the end of their physical lives, where they would live on for eternity.In this dazzling book, photographs and exhaustive texts illustrate the promise of a glorious rebirth pervaded the daily life of Egyptians, from commoners to the most powerful pharaohs. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Beautifully illustrated catalog
This exhibition catalog is beautifully illustrated, with many of the photographs extremely clear and all of very high quality. Most inscriptions are readable; larger objects are not just shown whole, but also in detail. It is a pleasure to see some many objects from Tanis included - King Tut has been over-exposed and the Tanis objects are less well-known.

The introductory essays provide useful background information; the catalog item descriptions are useful but of varying depth.

Great companion to a wonderful exhibit
The Quest for Immortality now at the National Gallery in Washington, DC is an eye-popping collection of famous items and unseen wonders from Cairo's Egyptian Museum. With the images fresh in your mind of the originals use the catalog articles to expand your knowledge of Queen Ahhotep and her jewels or the beauty of Nakhtmin's wife.

Don't miss my favorites the charming Ptolemaic bronze cat votive and the lapis lazuli Goddess Maat from the Third Intermediate Period. ... Read more

Book Description

The first Autobiography of Emperor Haile Sellassie is detailed with information on the little giant of a man who many peoples from all of life consider to be the returned Christ, the Messiah, or Defender of the Faith.Indeed, a remarkable and outstanding world leader.Got to read it. First time ever in paperback. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It is an inspirationl and legendary for the New Generation.
The whole work of the book is very inspirational, historically it is educational and legendary. The new generations of Ethiopian or the Eritrean will learn from it what they have not been told correctly. History never chnages. The book has it all. It is compiled very well, charismatic and the writer is to be admired for his great work. Everyone must read this book for self uplifting or for your edification. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Nothing but the truth
All one has to do is to read this great piece of literary work to see what Diop is talking about. For thousands of years we have been cheated and lied to about our history, it is only through research that the truth prevails. There has never been a positive book about African history untill African history is written by it's own...the African...Thank you Diop for daring to do what no man has ever done before. From the very onset of written history, the black has always been depicted as a simpleton, someone incapable of thinking for himself, someone dependent on 'massa' for dear life. Cheikh Anta Diop not only dispels these lies, he also brought to light the truth about black history...the glorious history of our ancestors from time unknown. Reading the book is so uplifting and so educating that one has to read it to experience our history. It is only normal to receive criticism on this wonderful piece. It is with great difficulty and pain that 'they' have to respond to save face. Even though Dr Cheikh Anta Diop is no more with us, his writings will do the talking. To all people of African decent, please read this book and find out what you have never been taught in school. To all the negative critics that hate to see anything positive about black people I'd say...EAT YOUR HEARTS OUT!!.

Profound, Profound, Profound!
This book lays it down as well as his precursor to this one called "African Origins of Civilization: Myth or Reality". If Afrikan people throughout the world, whether in the Usa or in South Africa, would really pay attention to what is being said in this book many will automatically return to their own traditions and stop playing the cultural children of the world. African people should give praises for an Ancestor like the great "Pharoah" Cheik Anta Diop!

A Great World Historian--Cheikh Anta Diop!
No matter what anyone says, Cheikh Anta Diop's works continue to shake up the world, especially the world of academia. Until the book started to get taught in colleges and universities around the globe, no one took his work seriously. Now, historians like Martin Bernal and others have used his work as a premise for their own academic contributions, such as Black Athena. Never forget this man from an African country called Senegal who started it all, to benefit and enlighten the whole world. I have given this book as a gift to anyone who is vaguely interested about world history AS IT SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS! This book and all of Cheikh Anta Diop's works are HEAVYWEIGHTS!!!! I highly recommend this book to all!

A literary heavyweight.
This is yet another great work from Diop. This book allows the serious scholar to navigate through the web of lies perpetuated by European historians, for Europe's benefit. As we have seen recently, with the Jessica Lynch lies, as well as the lies that led up to start of the Iraq war (invasion), the astute person of African descent will get their information on black history from black people. Otherwise, you'll never know that many of the Greek "greats" lived in Africa for considerable portions of their life, while learning the African mystery system. This system they took back to Greek, and used as the impetus for the Greek "miracle", without giving their Egyptians teachers any credit at all. We rely on the Greeks themselves to expound on the many sojourns in Egypt by Greece's greatest scholars.

Selam

Question
I'm sorry, was I supposed to laugh out loud while reading this book? Because it kept happening , over and over again. I feel sorry for anyone who took this book seriously. ... Read more

Book Description

A reinterpretation of biblical and Egyptian history that shows Moses and the Pharaoh Akhenaten to be one and the same. *Provides dramatic evidence from both archaeological and documentary sources. *A radical challenge to long-established beliefs on the origin of Semitic religion. *First North American Edition of Moses: Pharaoh of Egypt

During his reign, the Pharaoh Akhenaten was able to abolish the complex pantheon of the ancient Egyptian religion and replace it with a single god, the Aten, who had no image or form. Seizing on the striking similarities between the religious vision of this "heretic" pharaoh and the teachings of Moses, Sigmund Freud was the first to argue that Moses was in fact an Egyptian. Now Ahmed Osman, using recent archaeological discoveries and historical documents, contends that Akhenaten and Moses were one and the same man.

In a stunning retelling of the Exodus story, Osman details the events of Moses/Akhenaten's life: how he was brought up by Israelite relatives, ruled Egypt for seventeen years, angered many of his subjects by replacing the traditional Egyptian pantheon with worship of the Aten, and was forced to abdicate the throne. Retreating to the Sinai with his Egyptian and Israelite supporters, he died out of the sight of his followers, presumably at the hands of Seti I, after an unsuccessful attempt to regain his throne.

Osman reveals the Egyptian components in the monotheism preached by Moses as well as his use of Egyptian royal ritual and Egyptian religious expression. He shows that even the Ten Commandments betray the direct influence of Spell 125 in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Moses and Akhenaten provides a radical challenge to long-standing beliefs concerning the origin of Semitic religion and the puzzle of Akhenaten's deviation from ancient Egyptian tradition. In fact, if Osman's contentions are correct, many major Old Testament figures would be of Egyptian origin. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Excellent book
I find it funny that most people on here that have given there rewiew is of a Christian origins. He has truly out classed many interpretation that Christian historians have been about to give.

Using his philosophies should only encourage one to search for themselves instead of following these preachers, Elders without research for themselves. Josephus Flavius, Manetho and other called Mosheh and Egyptian and if you were to look at the life style (meaning upbringing of Akhenaton) you is identical to that of Mosheh.

I'm a Yisraelite and I have to commend him on this research because it was definetely good.

Startling...to say the least.
I first read this book after viewing an article online on the Graham hancock website. I must admit that I was rather intrigued by the fearless claims made by the author. However having read widely into this genre, including authors such as Laurence gardner, I found some of the information to correlate with the vague historical context of Akhenaten. Certainly for open minded readers this book is highly recommended as a study of the origins of monotheism in an unprejudiced manner. My only criticism is that it wanders from the topic slightly later on in the book.

How far can your imagination SSTTRRREEEETTTTCCCHH?
This book is interesting and well written overall, but not really very persuasive. I have no way of checking the writer's source material, but I suspect he's reading far more into the sources than one should. Fun to read, though.

Bah ha ha ha ha ha ha
Anything for money... what a joke. The idea that the Atenist religion was the first monotheism is silly when one considers that other deities(including Ma'at) continued to exist alongside the Aten. Akhenaten did not remove all the other Netjeru, but most of them. Still, this makes the religion far from the standard of 'monotheism.' Additionally, the Egyptians were already a form of monotheistic(where the various 'gods,' or Netjeru, are aspects of the One) and similar ideas were found in Babylon in its latter years.

It has been supposed that Moses may be a shortened version of an Egyptian name(such as Thothmosis). True or not, I do not believe this makes Moses an Egyptian king, the founder of monotheism, and so on.

This is just another ploy to sell books to people who enjoy 'conspiracy theories'- it's really just the "I know a secret" mentality that people buy into. I'm not saying that conspiracies and secrets don't exist... but this is just silly.

Moses or Akhenaten??
Ahmed Osman did extensive research on monuments, papyrus texts and the tombs of Egypt. However his basic idea that Akhenaten was Moses is proposterus and his arguments are unconvincing. Despite this, his extensive research in Egyptian and Israelite history is quite helpful. He also follows the western idea that the Egyptians were the first monotheists and that their sun-god had no shape. this is despite much evidence in his book from the time of Akhenaten showing the sun as a disc and that the name aten means disc. However the book is worth reading if only for the extensive research without his suppositions. ... Read more