Title: 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

Author: Charles Mann

Publisher: Borozi Books 2005

Genre: Nonfiction - History

Pages: 464

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure (perpetual); Ebook; 52 Books - W38

In this groundbreaking work of science, history, and archaeology, Charles C. Mann radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492.

Contrary to what so many Americans learn in school, the pre-Columbian Indians were not sparsely settled in a pristine wilderness; rather, there were huge numbers of Indians who actively molded and influenced the land around them. The astonishing Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan had running water and immaculately clean streets, and was larger than any contemporary European city. Mexican cultures created corn in a specialized breeding process that it has been called man’s first feat of genetic engineering. Indeed, Indians were not living lightly on the land but were landscaping and manipulating their world in ways that we are only now beginning to understand. Challenging and surprising, this a transformative new look at a rich and fascinating world we only thought we knew.

Our book club selection for October. The volume has been on my radar for years, probably since it was published, but I somehow never actually read it. I consider myself fairly versed in history and I learned so much from this book. I found the new theories about life before European contact in the Americas to be fascinating. My favorite chapter involved the ways that native populations shaped the land for their needs. Fascinating! And on every subject, I deepened my knowledge. I can't wait to discuss this book with my friends.