1491 (Second Edition): New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

Charles C. Mann

Oct 2006 · Sold by Vintage

About this ebook

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A groundbreaking work of science, history, and archaeology that radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492—from “a remarkably engaging writer” (The New York Times Book Review).
 
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.

Ratings and reviews

This was a great read. I feel as if I now have a better grasp of the world that the Spanish conquered. All in all I would recommend this book, however I feel as if it could have been just as effective with half of the narrative and sheer length.

I listened to the audio taped version of 1491. For me, the book caused a revolution in my sense of history (written by the winners), my sense of anthropology (control by the wealthy donors), and, today, my sense of human spirituality (the wisest do not serve with the worst humans). The past which the book uncovered, for me, held more wisdom, respect & sensitivity to human needs, environmental balance, and that the most dysfunctional people are driven to aggressively control political, academic and of course, financial places of decision-making.

Very well written and full of facts that I never knew I never knew. I'm very glad I picked this book up, I feel like I have a better sense of my place in the world and its history because of it.

About the author

CHARLES C. MANN, a correspondent for The Atlantic, Science, and Wired, has written for Fortune, The New York Times, Smithsonian, Technology Review, Vanity Fair, and The Washington Post, as well as for the TV network HBO and the series Law & Order. A three-time National Magazine Award finalist, he is the recipient of writing awards from the American Bar Association, the American Institute of Physics, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Lannan Foundation. His 1491 won the National Academies Communication Award for the best book of the year. He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.