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Apocalypse 2012: A Scientific Investigation into Civilization's End
Don’t look up
It won’t help. You can’t get out of the way, you can’t dig a hole deep enough to hide. The end is coming, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
So why read this book?
Because you can’t look away when not just the religious fanatics are saying we’re all going to be destroyed but the scientists are in on the act too. Here’s what they’re
• We’re a million years over due for a mass extinction.
• The sun at radiation minimum is acting much worse than at solar maximum, and one misdirected spewing of plasma could fry us in an instant.
• The magnetic field—which shields us from harmful radiation—is developing a mysterious crack.
• Our solar system is entering an energetically hostile part of the galaxy.
• The Yellowstone supervolcano is getting ready to blow, and if it does, we can look forward to nuclear winter and 90 percent annihilation.
• The Maya, the world’s greatest timekeepers ever, say it’s all going to stop on December 21, 2012.
So, see? There’s nothing you can do, but you might as well sit back and enjoy the show.
That’s why you should read this book.
*****
Dear Reader,
If there were a chance that opening this book could set off a chain of events that would lead to Apocalypse, to the end of Life as we know it, would you be tempted? Finger poised uncertainly above the flashing red button? How about if the Apocalypse promised to result in a new age of enlightenment, a Heaven on Earth like never before?
Personally, I’ll take the security of my cozy life over a chance at nirvana. But status quo may no longer be an option, for any of us. This book will convince you that there is a nonnegligible chance that the year 2012 will be more tumultuous, catastrophic, and, quite possibly, revelatory, than any other year in human history.
Parts of this book are best read with a bowl of looking into the jaws of a great white shark in search of the meaning of death; touring a picturesque Guatemalan town with Mayan shaman just weeks before it is utterly destroyed. Other sections go better with a tranquilizer, such as the impending eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano, or the mass extinction headed our way—on the scale of the great collision that destroyed the dinosaurs and 70 percent of all other species, our best scientists contend that it’s now overdue. Nail-biters should beware the fact that the next peak in the sunspot cycle, due in 2012, is widely expected to set records for the number and intensity of solar storms pummeling the Earth with radiation and igniting natural calamities such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and Katrina-sized hurricanes. And that our entire solar system appears to be moving into a dangerous interstellar energy cloud.
Is it a coincidence that the burgeoning war between Christianity and Islam seems hell-bent for Armageddon? Or that numerous other religions, philosophies, and cultural traditions are signaling that the end is near, with 2012 emerging as the consensus target date? A new era is about to be born, with all the pain and blood and joy and release that birth naturally entails.
Facing oblivion, or at least mega-metamorphosis, is something that few of us are emotionally prepared to do. Thus my excuse for the gallows humor that pervades this story. In a memorable Mary Tyler Moore episode, Mary cracks up laughing at the funeral of Chuckles the Clown who, dressed as a peanut while marching in a parade, was shucked to death by an elephant. If Mary can giggle in the face of death, so can we.
With kind regards,
Lawrence E. Joseph
It won’t help. You can’t get out of the way, you can’t dig a hole deep enough to hide. The end is coming, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
So why read this book?
Because you can’t look away when not just the religious fanatics are saying we’re all going to be destroyed but the scientists are in on the act too. Here’s what they’re
• We’re a million years over due for a mass extinction.
• The sun at radiation minimum is acting much worse than at solar maximum, and one misdirected spewing of plasma could fry us in an instant.
• The magnetic field—which shields us from harmful radiation—is developing a mysterious crack.
• Our solar system is entering an energetically hostile part of the galaxy.
• The Yellowstone supervolcano is getting ready to blow, and if it does, we can look forward to nuclear winter and 90 percent annihilation.
• The Maya, the world’s greatest timekeepers ever, say it’s all going to stop on December 21, 2012.
So, see? There’s nothing you can do, but you might as well sit back and enjoy the show.
That’s why you should read this book.
*****
Dear Reader,
If there were a chance that opening this book could set off a chain of events that would lead to Apocalypse, to the end of Life as we know it, would you be tempted? Finger poised uncertainly above the flashing red button? How about if the Apocalypse promised to result in a new age of enlightenment, a Heaven on Earth like never before?
Personally, I’ll take the security of my cozy life over a chance at nirvana. But status quo may no longer be an option, for any of us. This book will convince you that there is a nonnegligible chance that the year 2012 will be more tumultuous, catastrophic, and, quite possibly, revelatory, than any other year in human history.
Parts of this book are best read with a bowl of looking into the jaws of a great white shark in search of the meaning of death; touring a picturesque Guatemalan town with Mayan shaman just weeks before it is utterly destroyed. Other sections go better with a tranquilizer, such as the impending eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano, or the mass extinction headed our way—on the scale of the great collision that destroyed the dinosaurs and 70 percent of all other species, our best scientists contend that it’s now overdue. Nail-biters should beware the fact that the next peak in the sunspot cycle, due in 2012, is widely expected to set records for the number and intensity of solar storms pummeling the Earth with radiation and igniting natural calamities such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and Katrina-sized hurricanes. And that our entire solar system appears to be moving into a dangerous interstellar energy cloud.
Is it a coincidence that the burgeoning war between Christianity and Islam seems hell-bent for Armageddon? Or that numerous other religions, philosophies, and cultural traditions are signaling that the end is near, with 2012 emerging as the consensus target date? A new era is about to be born, with all the pain and blood and joy and release that birth naturally entails.
Facing oblivion, or at least mega-metamorphosis, is something that few of us are emotionally prepared to do. Thus my excuse for the gallows humor that pervades this story. In a memorable Mary Tyler Moore episode, Mary cracks up laughing at the funeral of Chuckles the Clown who, dressed as a peanut while marching in a parade, was shucked to death by an elephant. If Mary can giggle in the face of death, so can we.
With kind regards,
Lawrence E. Joseph
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 4, 2006
42 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
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December 16, 2012
saya beli buku ini saat diskon di bazaar buku Gramedia di Plaza Semanggi di bulan November. hanya Rp 15.000,-
belakangan saya baru sadar, mengapa Gramedia harus secepatnya melakukan mega-diskon atas buku ini. Ini buku tentang kemungkinan2 kiamat pada akhir tahun 2012. Jika kiamatnya ternyata tidak terjadi, siapa pula yang mau membeli buku ini lagi? Tetapi jika ternyata kiamatnya bener terjadi tanggal segitu, siapa pula manusia yang masih tersisa yg masih berpikiran untuk membeli buku ini (pasti semua sudah panik memikirkan hal lain)? hehehe.
jadi setelah membaca buku keluaran tahun 2006 ini saya cukup terkagum dengan upaya penulis untuk berusaha mengumpulkan semua informasi yang mungkin (terutama terkait ramalan kiamat suku Maya mengenai kiamat pada tanggal 21 Desember 2012). dan menurut saya selera humornya cukup bagus, dan terakhir walaupun ia keturunan Lebanon dari pihak Kristen Maronite dan kalau diurut lebih jauh adalah keturunan dari musuh besar Nabi Muhammad SAW, yaitu Abu Jahal, dalam menceritakan Islam, dia cukup fair. :-)
kemudian saya juga tersadar bahwa ada banyak kemungkinan terjadinya kiamat bumi, kita hidup di tempat yang ternyata tidak seaman itu. Perilaku matahari yang mulai menunjukkan anomali, hubungan matahari-bumi yang saling timbal balik, medan elektromagnet yg mulai bolong bahkan sepertinya akan terjadi pertukaran kutub utara dan selatan, "kunjungan" komet dari luar angkasa yg bisa menabrak bumi, dsb. Dan kemungkinan benarnya teori orang Rusia bernama Dimitriev mengenai awan antarbintang (saya sangat suka teori ini). dinyatakan tatasurya kita tidak diam saja, matahari juga berputar mengelilingi pusat galaksi. kita tidak selalu melewati tempat yang "mulus", kadang kita harus melewati/menabrak awan antarbintang yang lebih padat, dan menimbulkan gelombang kejut yang bisa mengganggu stabilitas bumi. Hal ini diperburuk dengan temuan bahwa setiap 62-65 juta tahun terjadi kepunahan massal di bumi. Kepunahan massal terakhir yg terjadi adalah 65 juta tahun lalu (kok sama-sama ada 65 juta tahunnya ya?) saat dinosaurus punah saat sebuah komet raksasa menabrak bumi dan mendarat di Meksiko. Man!
dan bagaimana ucapan the last dukun of Maya? Mereka memerintahkan agar pengarang "The Mayan Code" yang keturunan Hispanic (penakluk dan penjarah suku Maya) dan pencetus kepanikan kiamat 2012 ini untuk diam! :-) Dan mereka menyatakan tanggal 21 Desember 2012 adalah akhir dari sebuah siklus 5200 tahun. Ini bukan soal kiamat. Ini adalah awal yang baru. kelahiran baru. Kesadaran (consciusness) baru. tapi ibarat kelahiran bayi, pastilah melibatkan DARAH dan RASA SAKIT. Man!!
sang penulis juga menyebutkan bahwa banyak ramalan dari agama/suku lain yang juga menyebut 2012 sebagai akhir zaman. ini lebih membuat panik kan?
tapi terlepas dari semua hal tersebut di atas, sang penulis sebenarnya lebih menekankan bahwa ramalan ini bisa saja salah dan bisa saja benar. Kita seharusnya menghadapinya dengan lebih serius, tapi bukan dengan panik. Dan dia mencela para penganut agama Yahuni, Nasrani dan Islam yang memercayai adanya Armageddon, dan sangat yakin bahwa mereka yang akan menjadi yang diangkat ke langit, bukan yang "left behind", sehingga mereka cenderung tidak mempersiapkan diri.
setelah membaca ini semua, saya telah memastikan bahwa saya telah berada di tempat yang tepat. Saya tinggal di Indonesia, di pulau Jawa, yang secara tektonis dan vulkanis sangat tidak stabil. sehingga jika terjadi hal-hal yang diramalkan tersebut maka sudah pasti akan terjadi kehancuran besar-besaran di sini. Kemungkinan besar jika saya ternyata tidak terpilih untuk diangkat ke langit, saya akan langsung mati. dan tidak akan merasakan penderitaan akibat megabencana ini. Jadi tidak perlu mempersiapkan diri menghadapi "life after 2012", tentu saja kecuali mempersiapkan amal sebanyak-banyaknya agar Allah memilih saya masuk surga. oke.... mari kita berbuat baik. Hanya tinggal 5 hari lagi. :-)
belakangan saya baru sadar, mengapa Gramedia harus secepatnya melakukan mega-diskon atas buku ini. Ini buku tentang kemungkinan2 kiamat pada akhir tahun 2012. Jika kiamatnya ternyata tidak terjadi, siapa pula yang mau membeli buku ini lagi? Tetapi jika ternyata kiamatnya bener terjadi tanggal segitu, siapa pula manusia yang masih tersisa yg masih berpikiran untuk membeli buku ini (pasti semua sudah panik memikirkan hal lain)? hehehe.
jadi setelah membaca buku keluaran tahun 2006 ini saya cukup terkagum dengan upaya penulis untuk berusaha mengumpulkan semua informasi yang mungkin (terutama terkait ramalan kiamat suku Maya mengenai kiamat pada tanggal 21 Desember 2012). dan menurut saya selera humornya cukup bagus, dan terakhir walaupun ia keturunan Lebanon dari pihak Kristen Maronite dan kalau diurut lebih jauh adalah keturunan dari musuh besar Nabi Muhammad SAW, yaitu Abu Jahal, dalam menceritakan Islam, dia cukup fair. :-)
kemudian saya juga tersadar bahwa ada banyak kemungkinan terjadinya kiamat bumi, kita hidup di tempat yang ternyata tidak seaman itu. Perilaku matahari yang mulai menunjukkan anomali, hubungan matahari-bumi yang saling timbal balik, medan elektromagnet yg mulai bolong bahkan sepertinya akan terjadi pertukaran kutub utara dan selatan, "kunjungan" komet dari luar angkasa yg bisa menabrak bumi, dsb. Dan kemungkinan benarnya teori orang Rusia bernama Dimitriev mengenai awan antarbintang (saya sangat suka teori ini). dinyatakan tatasurya kita tidak diam saja, matahari juga berputar mengelilingi pusat galaksi. kita tidak selalu melewati tempat yang "mulus", kadang kita harus melewati/menabrak awan antarbintang yang lebih padat, dan menimbulkan gelombang kejut yang bisa mengganggu stabilitas bumi. Hal ini diperburuk dengan temuan bahwa setiap 62-65 juta tahun terjadi kepunahan massal di bumi. Kepunahan massal terakhir yg terjadi adalah 65 juta tahun lalu (kok sama-sama ada 65 juta tahunnya ya?) saat dinosaurus punah saat sebuah komet raksasa menabrak bumi dan mendarat di Meksiko. Man!
dan bagaimana ucapan the last dukun of Maya? Mereka memerintahkan agar pengarang "The Mayan Code" yang keturunan Hispanic (penakluk dan penjarah suku Maya) dan pencetus kepanikan kiamat 2012 ini untuk diam! :-) Dan mereka menyatakan tanggal 21 Desember 2012 adalah akhir dari sebuah siklus 5200 tahun. Ini bukan soal kiamat. Ini adalah awal yang baru. kelahiran baru. Kesadaran (consciusness) baru. tapi ibarat kelahiran bayi, pastilah melibatkan DARAH dan RASA SAKIT. Man!!
sang penulis juga menyebutkan bahwa banyak ramalan dari agama/suku lain yang juga menyebut 2012 sebagai akhir zaman. ini lebih membuat panik kan?
tapi terlepas dari semua hal tersebut di atas, sang penulis sebenarnya lebih menekankan bahwa ramalan ini bisa saja salah dan bisa saja benar. Kita seharusnya menghadapinya dengan lebih serius, tapi bukan dengan panik. Dan dia mencela para penganut agama Yahuni, Nasrani dan Islam yang memercayai adanya Armageddon, dan sangat yakin bahwa mereka yang akan menjadi yang diangkat ke langit, bukan yang "left behind", sehingga mereka cenderung tidak mempersiapkan diri.
setelah membaca ini semua, saya telah memastikan bahwa saya telah berada di tempat yang tepat. Saya tinggal di Indonesia, di pulau Jawa, yang secara tektonis dan vulkanis sangat tidak stabil. sehingga jika terjadi hal-hal yang diramalkan tersebut maka sudah pasti akan terjadi kehancuran besar-besaran di sini. Kemungkinan besar jika saya ternyata tidak terpilih untuk diangkat ke langit, saya akan langsung mati. dan tidak akan merasakan penderitaan akibat megabencana ini. Jadi tidak perlu mempersiapkan diri menghadapi "life after 2012", tentu saja kecuali mempersiapkan amal sebanyak-banyaknya agar Allah memilih saya masuk surga. oke.... mari kita berbuat baik. Hanya tinggal 5 hari lagi. :-)
September 5, 2007
All of these new age books about the end of the world as we know it come 2012 are hogwash, but I can't resist a book that claims "scientific authority." I, personally, don't buy any of it, but it's still a fun read if you're into science fiction.
One thing that I'm baffled by: I work at a stoopid corporate bookstore. Most of the books regarding 2012 are shelved in our "Metaphysical Studies" section (read: this shit is stoopid), but for some reason the powers that be decided that this book should be shelved in the "science section" (read: this is actual knowledge). How that happened is beyond me.
One thing that I'm baffled by: I work at a stoopid corporate bookstore. Most of the books regarding 2012 are shelved in our "Metaphysical Studies" section (read: this shit is stoopid), but for some reason the powers that be decided that this book should be shelved in the "science section" (read: this is actual knowledge). How that happened is beyond me.
February 16, 2009
This book was hard to give stars to there were points of the book (the first chapter and the last 2 Chapters) I would have given it a 1. As it was I didn't finish the last chapter. I got sick of it. The in between. The scientific areas of the book. Those areas were wonderful and would have given it a 4 or 5 starts depending on the section. so I went middle of the road with 3 stars. The back and forth of personal and scientific of the book is annoying. When I read a book like this I want facts, not personal beliefs. Research on cultural beliefs are a type of fact as that is what the culture believes. But personal I think X or Y. Don't mix it in. It detract from the book. The science behind the Sun and its effects and potential out comes. The science behind the environment and what has occurred, is occurring and could possibly occur. Those were high points of the book that made me really glad I read it. But then I am a science buff. Specifically and Astro Physics buff.
August 10, 2010
Oh, false advertising, library listing!! The MCLS lists the title as, "Apocalypse 2012 : a scientific investigation into civilization's end." SCIENTIFIC. That word does not actually appear on the cover of the book -at least not the edition I borrowed. And no wonder. Unless "science" has suddenly come to mean "taking a lot of trips to historical places and just taking as fact all the myths and legends people have about doomsday and then finishing up with a whole lot of religious Almighty God yammer. Sheesh. I was skeptical (surprise!) from the start of this book but kept plugging away, waiting for the science. Alas, alack, it lacks. And "The Bible Code"? Really? REALLY? Ack. For shame.
"The surest way to remain safe from the 2012 holocaust is to beseech the Almighty's protection"? Are you kidding me? An appeal to fear AND Pascal's Wager all in one? For shame, doubletime.
/:€
"The surest way to remain safe from the 2012 holocaust is to beseech the Almighty's protection"? Are you kidding me? An appeal to fear AND Pascal's Wager all in one? For shame, doubletime.
/:€
September 11, 2014
A very interesting and enlightening book regarding the potential of mankind’s end due to numerous factors that are imminently threatening. While I’m not sold on the idea of the specific date of the Mayan calendar being prophetic, the numerous issues he brings up bare considerable thought and helped further my firm belief that as a species we don’t know nearly as much as we think we do.
January 13, 2009
Lets talk synergy. I accidently happen to be reading this book in conjunction with “Decipher” which also mixes up Mayan myth and 2012. Oh, but there’s more. It is Armageddon Week on the History Chanel! What more could a closet survivalist ask for? Maybe “The Day After” on Blu-ray?
I’m reading this book because the author lives in Albuquerque, which is technically my back yard. Who knows—I might run in to him sobering, two in the morning at The Frontier (used to be Tony Hillermans favorite hang out). I’d have to speak to him. It’s part of my prime directive.
Wanna know why Africa is splitting apart? Why supervolcanoes are cocked to erupt simultaneously? Want to know why we need to start building personal rockets for our journey to other class M planets?
One word. No, two words: sunspots. Pesky devils those.
I never realized there were so many ways our delicate little planet could bite the big one. Before delving into the 2012 prophecies, the author gives us a brief preface tour of many devices and circumstances that could actually obliterate our ball in space. Aside from the fact everyone is still having a BIG problem with the linear accelerator (the one built and the one being built), there is nanotechnology (gray goo), increase is solar flares, asteroids (we all know about this one), natural disasters (most likely due to solar flares) and on and on. It’s quite impressive really—that we manage to be here at this very moment.
But the biggie is December 21, 20012. We have already started seeing specials on this date on the History Channel and the Discovery Channel. Blockbuster special effects movies are in the works. There are actually quite a few books out there on the subject, but most are written by New Age Cassandra’s without a clue except the desire to fluff their nonsense on a limp world.
Here’s the crux: the Mayan calendar is made up of chunks of time consisting of 5,200 years. There have been three of them. The fourth, which we are in now ends on 12-21-12. Because the calendar ends, the world ends, some say. Of course the Mayans shrug and say cycle five (called Suns) begin.
Ah, but it is a lot more complicated than that. The author is not a crackpot. His research is actually pretty thorough and compelling. The sunspot activity will peak in 2012—the largest in 5,200 years (he explains how we know this). Many other things are converging to make 2012 an interesting year. Don’t even get me started on Biblical prophesy. At least this author acknowledges the ‘out there’ aspect of his research.
Can’t wait for the movie. It’s coming, people. Get ready.
I’m reading this book because the author lives in Albuquerque, which is technically my back yard. Who knows—I might run in to him sobering, two in the morning at The Frontier (used to be Tony Hillermans favorite hang out). I’d have to speak to him. It’s part of my prime directive.
Wanna know why Africa is splitting apart? Why supervolcanoes are cocked to erupt simultaneously? Want to know why we need to start building personal rockets for our journey to other class M planets?
One word. No, two words: sunspots. Pesky devils those.
I never realized there were so many ways our delicate little planet could bite the big one. Before delving into the 2012 prophecies, the author gives us a brief preface tour of many devices and circumstances that could actually obliterate our ball in space. Aside from the fact everyone is still having a BIG problem with the linear accelerator (the one built and the one being built), there is nanotechnology (gray goo), increase is solar flares, asteroids (we all know about this one), natural disasters (most likely due to solar flares) and on and on. It’s quite impressive really—that we manage to be here at this very moment.
But the biggie is December 21, 20012. We have already started seeing specials on this date on the History Channel and the Discovery Channel. Blockbuster special effects movies are in the works. There are actually quite a few books out there on the subject, but most are written by New Age Cassandra’s without a clue except the desire to fluff their nonsense on a limp world.
Here’s the crux: the Mayan calendar is made up of chunks of time consisting of 5,200 years. There have been three of them. The fourth, which we are in now ends on 12-21-12. Because the calendar ends, the world ends, some say. Of course the Mayans shrug and say cycle five (called Suns) begin.
Ah, but it is a lot more complicated than that. The author is not a crackpot. His research is actually pretty thorough and compelling. The sunspot activity will peak in 2012—the largest in 5,200 years (he explains how we know this). Many other things are converging to make 2012 an interesting year. Don’t even get me started on Biblical prophesy. At least this author acknowledges the ‘out there’ aspect of his research.
Can’t wait for the movie. It’s coming, people. Get ready.
April 11, 2012
Spoiler alert: Saturday, December 22 will find people worldwide shopping for last-minute Christmas gifts or leaving for holiday vacations. This fact makes Joseph Lawrence's job of building a case that December 21, 2012 will be the end of days as not actually prophesied by the Mayans difficult. But try he does. Lawrence begins with the Mayans-a people who never did adopt the wheel and who apparently couldn't even foresee the end of their own civilization-and the fact that their calendar runs out on that fateful Friday. Lawrence, like many others, makes the leap from calendar coming to an end to world coming to an end. By the same logic, had the Mayans developed cartography, we would assume nothing beyond the map exists and the world simply drops off flat beyond.
Ah, but the book's subtitle promises a "Scientific Investigation" into other doomsday indicators. Here Lawrence reports on sunspots, global warming, supervolcanos, comets, asteroids, orbital convergence and the flocks of scientists (many in Siberia for some reason) who foresee the earth's doom. All of the processes discussed probably will imperil the earth but over the course of eons. What evidence is there of one of these hitting specifically in late December 2012? Well, that is more a matter of faith.
And Lawrence is a faithful guy. Many faiths to be precise as he tracks back his heritage through each of the 3 major Abrahamic religions as well as a few others. He draws upon these faiths and their individual end of days scenarios to support the Mayan date but the support here is even less convincing than what the scientists have to say. As an example, Lawrence mentions that the bible foresees greater storm activity leading up to the faithful day. Well that's specific.
Lawrence's writing style engages and the book tends to feel at times like Oliver Stone's movie "JFK" with its hyperbolic drawing of implausible connections. However, too often he needs to putty in filler (his family use to own a sword that the Metropolitan Museum of Art once added to a display(!)).
In short, 1997 came and went despite the Nostradamus prophecies, the world shrugged off Y2K and a host of religious fundamentalists end-dates are just entries in someone's diary now and this book will seem even more silly a year from now.
May 21, 2021
I personally don't believe in a 2012 disaster that is going to ruin mankind, but the work presented in this book makes me think.
It makes sense to me that similarly to how the Earth orbits the sun, our solar system, including the Earth & all the planets, etc. also travels along a regular orbit. It also makes sense that not all locations along the orbit are going to be uniform, so there may be places along that orbit that might be more turbulent and dangerous than others. What this book is saying is that every 62 - 65 million years, there is a mass extinction event where 50-90% of life dies off. Scientists think that this event corresponds to a period in the solar system orbit where it reaches an extra turbulent area with more comets & asteroids, so there is a much higher probability in this area of a huge asteroid hitting Earth. It has now been 65 million years since the last huge extinction event - when the dinosaurs died, so theoretically it is now our time again.
While I can believe this premise, I have a harder time believing that we know when precisely it will happen - estimated at 12/21/2012. It is interesting that many indigenous cultures, including the Maya, Chinese, Indian, & Native Americans all predicted something big was going to go down in 2012.
It makes sense to me that similarly to how the Earth orbits the sun, our solar system, including the Earth & all the planets, etc. also travels along a regular orbit. It also makes sense that not all locations along the orbit are going to be uniform, so there may be places along that orbit that might be more turbulent and dangerous than others. What this book is saying is that every 62 - 65 million years, there is a mass extinction event where 50-90% of life dies off. Scientists think that this event corresponds to a period in the solar system orbit where it reaches an extra turbulent area with more comets & asteroids, so there is a much higher probability in this area of a huge asteroid hitting Earth. It has now been 65 million years since the last huge extinction event - when the dinosaurs died, so theoretically it is now our time again.
While I can believe this premise, I have a harder time believing that we know when precisely it will happen - estimated at 12/21/2012. It is interesting that many indigenous cultures, including the Maya, Chinese, Indian, & Native Americans all predicted something big was going to go down in 2012.
November 20, 2009
The book in an on itself was ok, if you're into that kind of stuff. I'm a bit of a sucker for prophecies and end of the world, so I was eager to read a book about it.
It was dubbed as "An investigation into civilization's end" ("a study" in my translated copy to Spanish), and it made me feel a bit mislead when I started reading and I found that more than a study or investigation, it was a journal of trips with scientific bits and musings thrown in about 2012.
Ok?
This book was too personal about the guy's life for me to enjoy fully.
If I wanted to read about the author's life, I'd find his biography/credentials/blog. No offense, I just like my scientific books to be scientific, that's all.
The scientific parts, citations and theories I enjoyed plenty, but the book itself I felt was boring and dragged on boring topics- like a cab driver's praying or how the author wanted to write an autobiography; personally, I think he just wrote part of it on the book.
I say if you like scientific books about 2012, or at least more "serious" ones, avoid this one.
If you don't care (or rather, prefer) reading more about the author and his opinions than about 2012 itself, then you'll love it.
It was dubbed as "An investigation into civilization's end" ("a study" in my translated copy to Spanish), and it made me feel a bit mislead when I started reading and I found that more than a study or investigation, it was a journal of trips with scientific bits and musings thrown in about 2012.
Ok?
This book was too personal about the guy's life for me to enjoy fully.
If I wanted to read about the author's life, I'd find his biography/credentials/blog. No offense, I just like my scientific books to be scientific, that's all.
The scientific parts, citations and theories I enjoyed plenty, but the book itself I felt was boring and dragged on boring topics- like a cab driver's praying or how the author wanted to write an autobiography; personally, I think he just wrote part of it on the book.
I say if you like scientific books about 2012, or at least more "serious" ones, avoid this one.
If you don't care (or rather, prefer) reading more about the author and his opinions than about 2012 itself, then you'll love it.
January 28, 2009
this is not a NEW AGE book it's a SCIENCE book!
well, it's written by a scientist, but it will make you pee yourself in fear anyway.
sun spots, our heliosphere curving in on itself, our solar system entering into a hostile part of the galaxy - these are just some of the things we have to look forward to in the next couple of years.
i guess reading this made me not worry about money so much, because if any of these cataclysms happen i don't need to save anything anyhow. job worries? why worry when the world will perish in the next couple of years?
did you know that the supervolcano under yellowstone is way overdue to blow and turn the northern hemisphere into the very definition of a nuclear winter?
well, it's written by a scientist, but it will make you pee yourself in fear anyway.
sun spots, our heliosphere curving in on itself, our solar system entering into a hostile part of the galaxy - these are just some of the things we have to look forward to in the next couple of years.
i guess reading this made me not worry about money so much, because if any of these cataclysms happen i don't need to save anything anyhow. job worries? why worry when the world will perish in the next couple of years?
did you know that the supervolcano under yellowstone is way overdue to blow and turn the northern hemisphere into the very definition of a nuclear winter?
November 20, 2008
I'd just read The Road and I decided to check out this book last year. Written by a dude who is actually a legit, big-time scientist, the book suggests some crazy but "really scary if u think about it" type notions on what will happen in 2012. Most of his research stems from the Mayan codecies, which in themselves alone have ALWAYS fascinated me. I wish the Spanish hadn't burned so many. Anyway, if you want to get a better idea of what all the stories, myths, folk-wisdom, etc say about the end of the world, Mr. Joseph does a pretty good job of compiling and explaining them in this book. It's up to u then as to whether or not u beleive any of it.
December 13, 2013
The one thing I can't stand in books is when the author is full of himself. In Apocalypse 2012 L. Joseph is just that. The books is loosely put together by trips he took "researching" 2012 and for every trip he has to tell us all the fun he had and then momentarily remind us 2012 is coming. Seeing as its 2013 going on 14 in 3 weeks you can tell he was wrong, 2012 was not quite as spectacular as he thought it was going to be.
March 29, 2008
Weak and disorganized. I was not sure what the point of this book was after reading it.
October 28, 2008
Really not very good. The first half or so is fairly good science, the rest is questionable at best. It should be read for entertainment, not for any real education.
April 23, 2009
Ask me again on December 22nd 2012... TK
January 8, 2010
I thought this was going to be more interesting. Nope. Boring.
September 19, 2017
Un'indagine che non ha nulla di scientifico sulla fine della civiltà.
La fine della civiltà vorrei che arrivasse solo per finire di leggere queste stronzate (che i coglioni del gruppo Mondadori continuano a pubblicare, notare bene). Il libro parte bene. Cosa può provocare un'apocalisse planetaria? Beh, un indebolimento della magnetosfera, se ne parla da un po' del fatto che è possibile che il campo magnetico terrestre si inverta (anche se ad ogni modo non andremo a dormire con la bussola che segna il su come il nord, e ci svegliamo che segna il giù come il nord, è un processo che dura centinaia di anni) e nel frattempo saremmo vulnerabili alla radiazione solare. Ma può essere anche che il vulcano di Yellowstone decida all'improvviso di eruttare. Al confronto Krakatoa e Santorini sarebbero niente, si parla di un inverno nucleare tale da riportare all'era glaciale il pianeta. Peccato che da pagina 90 si inizi con le stronzate pesanti. L'autore inizia a citare teorici russi che neanche internet conosce (di Novobirsk, tale Dmitriev, il gran teorico che pensa che il sistema solare sarà investito da un campo di energia e bla bla bla), per spaziare poi alla meditazione e per finire con puttanate sull'armageddon e la sua storia personale e i suoi antenati (tra cui figura un emiro che avrebbe dovuto sostenere Napoleone nella presa di Accra, e altri tra cui uno che addirittura voleva uccidere Maometto). A me sembra soltanto il delirio di un pazzo. E l'ho pure pagato, questo libro.
La fine della civiltà vorrei che arrivasse solo per finire di leggere queste stronzate (che i coglioni del gruppo Mondadori continuano a pubblicare, notare bene). Il libro parte bene. Cosa può provocare un'apocalisse planetaria? Beh, un indebolimento della magnetosfera, se ne parla da un po' del fatto che è possibile che il campo magnetico terrestre si inverta (anche se ad ogni modo non andremo a dormire con la bussola che segna il su come il nord, e ci svegliamo che segna il giù come il nord, è un processo che dura centinaia di anni) e nel frattempo saremmo vulnerabili alla radiazione solare. Ma può essere anche che il vulcano di Yellowstone decida all'improvviso di eruttare. Al confronto Krakatoa e Santorini sarebbero niente, si parla di un inverno nucleare tale da riportare all'era glaciale il pianeta. Peccato che da pagina 90 si inizi con le stronzate pesanti. L'autore inizia a citare teorici russi che neanche internet conosce (di Novobirsk, tale Dmitriev, il gran teorico che pensa che il sistema solare sarà investito da un campo di energia e bla bla bla), per spaziare poi alla meditazione e per finire con puttanate sull'armageddon e la sua storia personale e i suoi antenati (tra cui figura un emiro che avrebbe dovuto sostenere Napoleone nella presa di Accra, e altri tra cui uno che addirittura voleva uccidere Maometto). A me sembra soltanto il delirio di un pazzo. E l'ho pure pagato, questo libro.
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September 19, 2025(c.2012) A weirdly coincidental find, from the Oxfam bookshop in Bradford ... a comedy expose of the end-of-the-world industry/2012 prophecies of doom. I am looking forward to this and passing on to my comic son. Not 'Lawrence E Joseph', but 'Joseph C Lawrence' - yes I know!
First a warning; despite the quirky cover and reviews, including, ‘Lawrence Joseph – journalist, science consultant and the only person who can talk about potential disaster and make it funny …’, this is not a funny book! It is densely and I assume accurately scientific in big chunks, and with other bits of history, geography, personal biography, religion and mythology to lighten the load. In the end the weight of 2012 pessimism not least from the Mayans – who started this whole thing off – including major religious indicators, supervolcanoes, solar activity, the progress of the milky way through the solar system, meteorites etc. etc. is ultimately quite depressing :( Joseph comes to the conclusion that something may or may not happen, and he believes that there will be natural disaster(s) that will massively disrupt or destroy humankind, but we must be ready for the worst. I wonder what he’s been doing in the 7 years since he wrote the book, and now only 3 ½ months from the fateful ‘end of time’ 21st December 2012? Lastly, it was particularly interesting to read about the early days of the Muslim religion, the founding of Mecca as a holy shrine, and the role that Joseph’s family had in it!
First a warning; despite the quirky cover and reviews, including, ‘Lawrence Joseph – journalist, science consultant and the only person who can talk about potential disaster and make it funny …’, this is not a funny book! It is densely and I assume accurately scientific in big chunks, and with other bits of history, geography, personal biography, religion and mythology to lighten the load. In the end the weight of 2012 pessimism not least from the Mayans – who started this whole thing off – including major religious indicators, supervolcanoes, solar activity, the progress of the milky way through the solar system, meteorites etc. etc. is ultimately quite depressing :( Joseph comes to the conclusion that something may or may not happen, and he believes that there will be natural disaster(s) that will massively disrupt or destroy humankind, but we must be ready for the worst. I wonder what he’s been doing in the 7 years since he wrote the book, and now only 3 ½ months from the fateful ‘end of time’ 21st December 2012? Lastly, it was particularly interesting to read about the early days of the Muslim religion, the founding of Mecca as a holy shrine, and the role that Joseph’s family had in it!
April 21, 2018
For a non-fiction novel about potential fiction subjects, at the time, it was really good. Honestly, although I had interest in the potential end of the world in 2012, this wasn't something I would have bought for myself; though I got it as a gift, I was not disappointed. The book itself was a non-fiction novel about the 2012 doomsday theory-- which while I was interested in at the time, I didn't really believe it. Regardless, I figured it would be an interesting read, and it was... until it got a little boring... then interesting again-- it just takes itself a tad too seriously, so it drags. Overall, I liked his humor, his figurative language, and his voice. Primarily it didn't feel like a text book, which is great for a non-fiction book such as this. Looking back on 2012, seeing how the world did not end, I can't let that affect the rating of this novel. It was well written and engaging for the time it came out; however, I feel that if I or anyone else were to read it nowadays, it would have a whole new hokey connotation to it and wouldn't allow readers to even remotely be able to try and take it serious (albeit with a grain of salt).
January 30, 2020
I don’t usually read books like this one. It was alright. Some of the stuff was interesting, and I liked the little jokes once and a while. But if you are interested in stuff like this I would probably recommend it to you. It’s not a bad read, and I do like apocalypse books or I guess I should say stories. I like stories instead of information.
September 23, 2021
I was convinced the world might end. So there's that.
March 26, 2025
Equivalent to reading a research paper. Mildly interesting even more mildly boring.
November 28, 2008
I love a good conspiracy. I don't believe them all, so I probably couldn't be labeled a conspiracy nut, but if there is strong evidence favoring one, I'll let my logical mind pick it apart and try to find some truth. Enter the prophecies concerning December 21, 2012: a multi-faceted prediction in Mayan culture and repeated in several other cultures throughout the earth dating back many centuries that the earth would experience some great change on this date. With only four years remaining, I decided it was time to see what humanity might have coming.
There are many books on the subject, but I selected Joseph's because it seemed the least likely to jump into a metaphysical journey of repentance. It was subtitled as being "a scientific investigation," after all. Unfortunately for Joseph, you cannot really present a "scientific" argument for prophecies concerning the future and this claim has upset many in the science community, but at least an attempt to use scientific data was made.
The blurb for Apocalypse 2012 will lead you to believe that Joseph effectively uses humor to counter his doomsday message. Don't be mistaken. There is absolutely nothing funny about this book. Most of the scenarios the author presents as likely fulfillment of the 2012 prediction parallel McCarthy's The Road—a million laughs a minute. Don't be dismayed, however, as many of these possible scenarios seem an attempt to stretch the truth and the book's length to a bestseller.
Unfortunately, not all seem outside of the realm of possibility. Especially in regards to astronomical causes, there are many eery "coincidental" phenomenon expected to happen late in 2012, some having been pinpointed to happen exactly on 12/21/12. Joseph does a descent job of illustrating these, but having focused so much on the unlikely events (e.g. a terrorist group setting a bomb under Yellowstone, for example) takes away from the good points he does have.
Apocalypse 2012 is a good primer for the prophecy of December twenty-first. He explains the prediction itself and many interpretations of it. He even talks to living descendants of the Mayans to find out their views on the subject. All in all, Joseph has written probably one of the most believable and mainstream books concerning 2012. Regrettably, if something does go down in 2012, this book is probably not convincing enough to make anyone run for the hills.
Review from The Literary Snob
April 4, 2011
I read this book in under a week, so I must have been sufficiently interested in the subject matter. In fact I am; for some unfathomable reason, I am incomprehensibly drawn to all things end-of-the-world. I guess I am a sucker for stuff like this. It fascinates me. However, I also take the end-of-times subject with a grain of salt. I am sceptical. Thankfully Joseph decries a lot of the stranger scenarios, and even puts a pin in the balloons of a lot of wacko thinking in Apocalypse 2012. The message, in a nutshell? That governments need to prepare for the possibility of worse solar storms than have already occurred in the past. We are totally dependent on electrical things, doodads that just so happen to also be highly susceptible to solar magnetic storms. Rather than ignoring the fact that something can go wrong, Joseph wants readers to realize that it is inevitable that more storms will come. In Apocalypse 2012 it's not a matter of if, it's simply a matter of when.
What I enjoyed most in Lawrence's Apocalypse 2012 is that he explores the plausible and possible science behind the current crop of doomsday scenarios, from solar flares, to global warming causing turbulent weather, and so on. Joseph doesn't come out and say that any of these scenarios will happen, let alone that they will happen in 2012, but rather what could plausibly happen if the end of the world were to happen. Thus, there aren't any alien invasions; there are also no gods coming down and wreaking havoc on earth, in a spaceship or otherwise. There are no zombies. But there are asteroids mentioned, and the “space” weather that Earth appears to go through regularly like clock work. There’s mention of comets too. And the runaway global warming effect that can create a domino effect in weather patterns, et cetera.
The downside to Apocalypse 2012 is that it is also a semi-quizzical autobiography where the author inserts himself into the text without trepidation. I found this to be off-putting. There were whole pages devoted to the author talking about himself, and his experiences—his divorce, growing up, et cetera—that I found completely irrelevant to the book's subject. It was weird.
At the end, I'm still sceptical: Apocalypse 2012 provides ample food for thought, but I don't know if I believe any of it. One thing this book does do, however, is provide a plethora of ideas for possible science fiction/fantasy stories, which in themselves make this book a rewarding read.
What I enjoyed most in Lawrence's Apocalypse 2012 is that he explores the plausible and possible science behind the current crop of doomsday scenarios, from solar flares, to global warming causing turbulent weather, and so on. Joseph doesn't come out and say that any of these scenarios will happen, let alone that they will happen in 2012, but rather what could plausibly happen if the end of the world were to happen. Thus, there aren't any alien invasions; there are also no gods coming down and wreaking havoc on earth, in a spaceship or otherwise. There are no zombies. But there are asteroids mentioned, and the “space” weather that Earth appears to go through regularly like clock work. There’s mention of comets too. And the runaway global warming effect that can create a domino effect in weather patterns, et cetera.
The downside to Apocalypse 2012 is that it is also a semi-quizzical autobiography where the author inserts himself into the text without trepidation. I found this to be off-putting. There were whole pages devoted to the author talking about himself, and his experiences—his divorce, growing up, et cetera—that I found completely irrelevant to the book's subject. It was weird.
At the end, I'm still sceptical: Apocalypse 2012 provides ample food for thought, but I don't know if I believe any of it. One thing this book does do, however, is provide a plethora of ideas for possible science fiction/fantasy stories, which in themselves make this book a rewarding read.
June 25, 2011
Giving this book 3 stars for now. If the catastrophes start piling up, I may upgrade it to 4 (lol). This rambling pop-science overview starts with a summary of the Mayan end-of-time prophecies and goes on to explore their possible connections with scientific observations of unusual geological and astronomical phenomena. Although easily readable because of its conversational tone, the book is just a catalog of "what-ifs," rather than an attempt to assess which catastrophes are most likely. Apparently Joseph did a lot of globe-trotting, interviewing various scientists who have put forward doomsday scenarios for their respective fields. But by the end, I had no idea which theory, if any, is receiving serious attention from other scientists or government leaders. Should we expect an Ice Age brought on by an eruption at Yellowstone? Is a surge in sunspots going to short out the power grid? Does Earth have some sort of intelligence of its own that can keep things in balance? We're left uncertain about all these physical phenomena. Then the book shifts gears in later chapters to discuss apocalyptic prophecies of various religions, making us wonder whether a man-made disaster, such as nuclear war spawned by fanatics, might be the overarching danger. The book concludes by urging us to prepare, somehow, and vaguely talks of moving underground, flying to the moon, or relocating to earthquake-free Berea, Kentucky. Throughout, Joseph uses a bantering tone, perhaps to calm our nerves or maybe to be self-deprecating, hinting that he really doesn't know what he's talking about. Sprinkling in a few anecdotes about his Lebanese ancestors was distracting, I thought. Despite the book's disjointed, hopscotch structure, I found the subject matter compelling. After all, how can we not care if Life as We Know It is on track to end in 18 months or so? After finishing the book, I checked out Joseph's web site. Some of the material posted there suggests his main worry is the vulnerability of our electrical grid, but he adds it can be protected fairly easily and cheaply (for less than half a billion) by installing hundreds of surge suppressors. Sounds like that step, at least, would be a worthwhile FEMA project. Too bad he didn't give it more emphasis in the book. P.S. -- As promised in my opening, I'm upgrading to 4 stars, primarily because of the earthquake, tsunami and clumsy handling of the nuclear catastrophe in Japan.
August 2, 2011
It's one of those subjects people are embarrassed to give any credit to, or, as the author himself states, "something weird men wearing sandwich boards walk around in." Honestly, though, it's very interesting. While he does give a chunk of print to the "why 2012, specifically?" question, I'd say 90% of the book is about the types of scenarios that could play out at any time, 2012 or any other, both small-scale and global, from a localized weather incident like a tornado or wildfire, or something enormous like the overdue explosion of the Yellowstone and Long Valley calderas. The main thing it did for me was really make me think, for the first time, about how prepared (or un-prepared) my husband and I are for any kind of disaster. We weren't storing extra water or food, for example, which are pretty basic things everyone should store in some amount (72 hrs worth at a minimum, two weeks to one month even better, 3-6 months ideal). Then there are things you just don't think about but are still essential, like batteries, first aid supplies, flashlights, extra gasoline, even duct tape, firewood and non-electric dependent appliances like fans and stoves. These are all things you might need in even the smallest-scale incident: a power outage, for instance. A blackout in TX, or a disruption in water supply or pressure - even short-lived, and especially in the summer - can cause a serious problem within 24 hours. And what if you have to evacuate? We're far enough inland not to deal with hurricanes and we aren't at high risk of earthquakes, but we do have other issues specific to our area. We live in an area that has serious annual drought, so fires are a real possibility (case in point: the recent evacs in AZ due to fires). I realized how utterly ill-prepared we were for either "bugging out" (evac) OR "bugging in" (riding out a power outage or some other incident at home), so that got me moving. I don't imagine we'll ever go way out and build a bomb shelter or store 10 years worth of food and water, but let's just say that just a month or so later, I feel a lot more prepared than I did before reading this book. Definitely a worthwhile read.
August 28, 2008
I'm still not ready to buy into the idea that the world is going to end/be reborn on 12/21/12 but the book is certainly interesting and it does provide food for thought.
A few of the disasters he talks about don't have any particular tie to 2012. Yellowstone might erupt at any time, there's no reason to think it's especially likely in 2012 unless you believe that sunspots will cause it. (Also, the docudrama he mentions about Yellowstone erupting is very well done). Interestingly, that docudrama also deals with the fact that saying "we're overdue for x" where x equals a massive earthquake, die off, plague, volcanic eruption, isn't entirely meaningless, but it's still mostly a scare tactic, and one that the author of this book employs more than once.
Still, it sounds like 2011-2012 is going to be a very interesting time in terms of solar activity and activity in space.
The author also addresses the fact that it may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. There are certainly some fundamentalists (of all 3 major western religions) who think God just isn't moving fast enough on that whole Armageddon thing so they need to speed it along.
It's a very interesting book. I'm willing to concede that we may well have a more difficult year in terms of natural disasters and sunspots interfering with satellites, but I'm still pretty sure the vast majority of the human race will be around come 2013.
A few of the disasters he talks about don't have any particular tie to 2012. Yellowstone might erupt at any time, there's no reason to think it's especially likely in 2012 unless you believe that sunspots will cause it. (Also, the docudrama he mentions about Yellowstone erupting is very well done). Interestingly, that docudrama also deals with the fact that saying "we're overdue for x" where x equals a massive earthquake, die off, plague, volcanic eruption, isn't entirely meaningless, but it's still mostly a scare tactic, and one that the author of this book employs more than once.
Still, it sounds like 2011-2012 is going to be a very interesting time in terms of solar activity and activity in space.
The author also addresses the fact that it may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. There are certainly some fundamentalists (of all 3 major western religions) who think God just isn't moving fast enough on that whole Armageddon thing so they need to speed it along.
It's a very interesting book. I'm willing to concede that we may well have a more difficult year in terms of natural disasters and sunspots interfering with satellites, but I'm still pretty sure the vast majority of the human race will be around come 2013.
May 11, 2010
A few words from me cannot do this book justice. in just 280 pages it was explained to me very clearly just how precariously balanced our existence is on this blue and white jewel we call Earth. It seems the Earth is poised to explode from within (super-volcanoes); about to be irradiated by the Sun (solar flares, and sunspot minimums that have got more activity than most sunspot maximums); a rough bit of space (that's going to upset the sun) that the Solar System is beginning to pass through; lumps of rock or ice, and that we're about due for one the size that extincted the dinosaurs; add to that the fact that a respectable number of ancient civilisations had the date 21st December, 2012 marked in their diaries several thousand years ago and the trouble the planet went to to grow us all over 4,500 billion years all seems a bit pointlesss.
After reading this I did some checking to find out if Lawrence E. Joseph was just another man with a placard shouting 'The End is Nigh' and I couldn't find fault with what he was saying.
Just to let you know just how serious this is I discovered, from a NASA website, that just a few days ago a sizeable lump of space stuff passed us by at just a little under twice the moon's distance from us. A hairsbreadth by cosmic standards. And just last month another lump passed by at around the same distance from us as the moon - cosmically that's splitting hairs.
On second thoughts, don't read this, it'll just cause you endless anxiety.
After reading this I did some checking to find out if Lawrence E. Joseph was just another man with a placard shouting 'The End is Nigh' and I couldn't find fault with what he was saying.
Just to let you know just how serious this is I discovered, from a NASA website, that just a few days ago a sizeable lump of space stuff passed us by at just a little under twice the moon's distance from us. A hairsbreadth by cosmic standards. And just last month another lump passed by at around the same distance from us as the moon - cosmically that's splitting hairs.
On second thoughts, don't read this, it'll just cause you endless anxiety.
June 25, 2013
1
Cover buku ini bagi saya biasa saja, terlihat seperti seorang remaja mencari gambar di Google Image dan mengkopi pastenya kemudian diprint. Buku ini juga sedang diOBRAL. Harganya tentu saja murah, oleh karena itu saya membelinya. Tapi kalau orang menyebut buku ini MURAHAN karena menulis tentang KIAMAT 2012 yang hanya didasarkan pada kalender suku Maya, saya akan bilang bahwa kalender suku Maya itu bukan jenis PERDUKUNAN, NUJUM, RAMAL seperti yang kita lihat ditelevisi (ketik Reg Spasi Ini Ono) tapi didasarkan pada kalkulasi yang rumit, bahkan sebelum orang-orang EROPA dan kita mengenal kalkulator yang tidak lebih dari 16 digit itu. Jadi buku ini wajib dibaca untuk sekadar tahu dan untuk "BERUSAHA MENANGGULANGI" kerusahan parah Kiamat 2012 karena boleh dikatakan bahwa Kiamat 2012 itu adalah jenis KEHANCURAN yang disebabkan oleh "perkawinan" Alam semesta & Manusia dalam usaha menghancurkan dirinya. Perlu contoh? a) badai matahari+rumah kaca+penebangan hutan (dan masih banyak lagi).
2
Dan pada akhirnya, Kiamat bukanlah ramalan atau tahayul. Kiamat berhubungan dengan tingkah laku manusia. Prinsipnya sederhana, kau tebang pohon, kau akan kena terjangan angin, hujan, banjir dan longsor. Hal itu disebut hukum alam. Kalau kau tidak merawat dunia, dunia akan menjadi tempat yang tidak bersahabat untuk ditempati oleh makhluk hidup. Dan itu disebut kiamat. Kematian makhluk hidup.
Cover buku ini bagi saya biasa saja, terlihat seperti seorang remaja mencari gambar di Google Image dan mengkopi pastenya kemudian diprint. Buku ini juga sedang diOBRAL. Harganya tentu saja murah, oleh karena itu saya membelinya. Tapi kalau orang menyebut buku ini MURAHAN karena menulis tentang KIAMAT 2012 yang hanya didasarkan pada kalender suku Maya, saya akan bilang bahwa kalender suku Maya itu bukan jenis PERDUKUNAN, NUJUM, RAMAL seperti yang kita lihat ditelevisi (ketik Reg Spasi Ini Ono) tapi didasarkan pada kalkulasi yang rumit, bahkan sebelum orang-orang EROPA dan kita mengenal kalkulator yang tidak lebih dari 16 digit itu. Jadi buku ini wajib dibaca untuk sekadar tahu dan untuk "BERUSAHA MENANGGULANGI" kerusahan parah Kiamat 2012 karena boleh dikatakan bahwa Kiamat 2012 itu adalah jenis KEHANCURAN yang disebabkan oleh "perkawinan" Alam semesta & Manusia dalam usaha menghancurkan dirinya. Perlu contoh? a) badai matahari+rumah kaca+penebangan hutan (dan masih banyak lagi).
2
Dan pada akhirnya, Kiamat bukanlah ramalan atau tahayul. Kiamat berhubungan dengan tingkah laku manusia. Prinsipnya sederhana, kau tebang pohon, kau akan kena terjangan angin, hujan, banjir dan longsor. Hal itu disebut hukum alam. Kalau kau tidak merawat dunia, dunia akan menjadi tempat yang tidak bersahabat untuk ditempati oleh makhluk hidup. Dan itu disebut kiamat. Kematian makhluk hidup.
August 14, 2009
This book provides some description of current trends in geophysical, solar, and spatial phenomena which seem to be approaching the peaks of their occurrence cycles. Also, evidence of correlation across these seemingly disparate phenomena is accumulating, and it is interesting to question if these correlations are triggered by causal-effect processes. Although anomalous trends in these phenomena are observed, events are not necessarily linked with the 2012 year as may come across from the book cover---the events are rather linked with the upcoming decades.
Also, the author mixes factual information on hurricanes, volcanoes, earthquakes, sunspots, and asteroids among others with his personal stories. This strategy is fine, except when there is too much text without substance. This tends to happen in transition chapters, and add on material. Despite this, it is an interesting book that provides the reader information on not only potentially catastrophic events, but also some basic information about religion, extremism, modern astronomy, and smart technological systems.
Also, the author mixes factual information on hurricanes, volcanoes, earthquakes, sunspots, and asteroids among others with his personal stories. This strategy is fine, except when there is too much text without substance. This tends to happen in transition chapters, and add on material. Despite this, it is an interesting book that provides the reader information on not only potentially catastrophic events, but also some basic information about religion, extremism, modern astronomy, and smart technological systems.
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