What do you think?
Rate this book
Maya Civilization: A Captivating Guide to Maya History and Maya Mythology
Explore the Captivating History and Mythology of the Maya Free History BONUS Inside! In this captivating guide, you will discover why Maya have gained such worldwide admiration over the many other civilizations that existed in Mesoamerica at the time. You will learn how the Maya civilization developed, the major turning points in their 3,000-year-long history, the mysteries surrounding their demise, and some of the unique places where Maya exist to this day. In the first part of this book, you will discover the origins of the Maya civilization and the Mesoamerican cultures that may have influenced them. You will find out why Maya (out of all the different tribes that existed in the region at the time) have captured the imagination of the West so much. The book will reveal how they lived, ate, slept, whom they worshipped, and how they used herbal medicines and hallucinogenic plants to treat the sick. You learn about their trading routes and rivalries with another famous Mesoamerican tribe—the Aztecs. The book will go into the decline of the Maya civilization and how their rivalries with the Aztecs aided the victory of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, led by the famous Spaniard Hernán Cortés. You will also learn about the heroic efforts of the Maya to fend off the Spaniards, and why they were able to succeed at this task for much longer than the Aztecs. The book will also track down the Maya living today, a population that is still six-million strong and adhere to many of the traditions that their ancestors once held. In among the battle tales and gore of human sacrifice, you will get some delicious cocoa recipes, Maya-style, that you can make at home. After you have discovered all about the Maya origins, their cuisine, and their most notable events to present day, the book will go into the aspect that’s often the reason why so many people have been fascinated by the Maya civilization throughout the ages. You will learn about their mythology, cosmology, and the solar calendar that resulted in the infamous doomsday scare back in 2012. Some of the topics and questions covered in this book Maya TimelineGlossary of Important Maya TermsThe Origins of the Mesoamerican CivilizationsThe Archaic 7000 – 2000 BCThe 1,200 – 300 BCThe Preclassic Period and the Magnificent ZapotecEarly Preclassic 2000 to 1000 BCCuello and early Maya architectureMiddle Preclassic 1000 to 300 BCThe 600 BC to AD 800Late Preclassic 300 BC to AD 250The Classic Period, Doomsday Calendar, and the Mystery of the Red QueenEarly Classic – AD 250 to 600How Maya measured the timeLate Classic – AD 600 to 900The mystery of the Red QueenTerminal Classic – AD 900 to 1000Food, Rites, and Gruesome TalesHow to make Maya hot chocolate at homeHow did the Maya grow their food?The Maize godThe Maya beauty standardsThe sacred Ball GameThe Decline of the Maya Civilization and Human SacrificeEarly Postclassic – AD 1000 to 1250Inside Chichen Itza – features of Maya citiesThe Maya Observatory (El Caracol)Human sacrifice and the methodsThe Kukulkan pyra
100 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2017
187 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 6, 2020
A power packed book. Before this book, I only knew that Mayan civilization is an advanced one, Mayans predicted the calendar with more precision due to their advanced knowledge of astrology, and that the entire Mayan population were annihilated.
Knew a lot about Mayan civilization from this small book including that 6 million Mayan people are still alive in Central America over various countries. Whet my appetite to learn more.
I now understand how the non-Indians might feel about various gods when they read about Ramayana and Mahabharata. My head swam trying to keep straight the various gods mentioned (only handful of 160+ gods were discussed though) in this book.
Knew a lot about Mayan civilization from this small book including that 6 million Mayan people are still alive in Central America over various countries. Whet my appetite to learn more.
I now understand how the non-Indians might feel about various gods when they read about Ramayana and Mahabharata. My head swam trying to keep straight the various gods mentioned (only handful of 160+ gods were discussed though) in this book.
February 3, 2018
It is a gate to enter this world. try it
A simple book that clears a few mysteries but not all of them about the Mayas. To start the Maya people around 7,000 BCE is better than most approaches but it is not exactly enough. It corresponds to the development of agriculture in Mesoamerica, but it does not take into account a very important fact concerning both maize and their writing system.
The point is that it must have started long before for the maize we know that cannot sow itself to be able to evolve from the various wild varieties that still exist in Mesoamerica. And that could only happen with the help of human hands. I would personally evaluate the beginning of agriculture in Mesoamerica and southern America as starting right after the Ice Age and even before the rising of waters, just with the climate change that brought more warmth and more water; hence at least 12,000 BCE. When you add the writing system to this agriculture you need quite a few thousand years to invent and develop this writing system from absolutely nothing at all. At least nothing at all we know about. It took some five or six thousand years for the Sumerian to develop their writing system, cuneiform writing, which is so simple when compared to Maya writing. We under-evaluate the length of time needed for these two developments. And we could add the calendar, cosmology, and mathematics the Mayas controlled so well.
But agriculture also required a new division of labor with a ruling elite and a religious organization that justified that ruling elite. That too required a few millennia if not many to develop little by little. This new elite is definitely male, but males are dominant through and through: the warriors are all men. The prisoners are all men. The sacrificed individuals, be they war-prisoners or plain volunteers, are all men.
That leads me to the most intriguing part of this civilization, the blood culture with two dimensions. Human sacrifice with beheading, dismembering and other slow progressive death rituals with war prisoners. But also the human sacrifice of volunteers, true volunteers or appointed volunteers, to get their heart ripped out of their chest, still beating in the living sacrificial individual. Another form is also known, with a young man attached to some sacrificial post and being slowly put to death with bows and arrows. The honor for the young man and his family depends on how he submits to the sacrifice and how long he lasts, which implies how skilled the bowmen are at hitting the young man in non-deadly places causing distress and suffering and thus measuring how the young man takes it.
Another form of blood sacrifice is alluded to but not explained. Men very often, within some ritual event, scarify themselves, particularly on their genitalia, to pour blood, the more the better. This is performed by the subject himself with no outside help. At this point, we can wonder why blood is so important in that culture. The explanation given in this book is that the Gods like blood. I think there is something else: to go through such rites, be they lethal or just scarifying, is not only satisfying the Gods (like Abraham nearly did with his two sons) but it also brings honor and social respect, maybe even social prominence, to the individual and his family. We could even wonder if the practice of men scarifying their genitals to pour blood is not a way to provide these men with the menstrual blood lettign they do not have naturally like women, a mesntruazl flow that is a sign of fertility.
A last a most recent discovery has to be put on the table here. Satellite pictures have shown that structures of the same type as the Maya pyramids and other buildings exist under the Amazonian rainforest. Either we have to state the Mayas moved that far south or we have to state that when the Ice Age arrived the Incas who were in Peru in the Andes were forced to come down, which they might have done even before the Ice Age and had settled in the Amazonian forest before even moving to Yucatan and Mesoamerica. This requires another approach to the migration of Homo Sapiens to America and states two migrations, one to South America after Easter Island of a stone culture. They would have arrived at the southern tip of Chile where an archaeological site is now reaching its second level dated around 25,000 BCE with a third level even lower and hence older. It is these people who would have moved north up to Mesoamerica over probably something like 10,000 years.
The second migration is from Siberia, over the Bering Straits before the peak of the Ice Age since they have been archaeologically proved as settled in Alaska and in Canada around 25,000 BCE (six thousand years before the peak of the Ice Age. Yet these do not seem to be directly connected to northern American Indians who probably arrived in a later migration probably just after the peak of this Ice Age. But now the Clovis Theory has been clearly proved false we can envisage new approaches, as I have just outlined above.
If you like cultural mysteries and rich cultures and civilizations this small book will be an excellent introduction.
Dr. Jacques COULARDEAU
A simple book that clears a few mysteries but not all of them about the Mayas. To start the Maya people around 7,000 BCE is better than most approaches but it is not exactly enough. It corresponds to the development of agriculture in Mesoamerica, but it does not take into account a very important fact concerning both maize and their writing system.
The point is that it must have started long before for the maize we know that cannot sow itself to be able to evolve from the various wild varieties that still exist in Mesoamerica. And that could only happen with the help of human hands. I would personally evaluate the beginning of agriculture in Mesoamerica and southern America as starting right after the Ice Age and even before the rising of waters, just with the climate change that brought more warmth and more water; hence at least 12,000 BCE. When you add the writing system to this agriculture you need quite a few thousand years to invent and develop this writing system from absolutely nothing at all. At least nothing at all we know about. It took some five or six thousand years for the Sumerian to develop their writing system, cuneiform writing, which is so simple when compared to Maya writing. We under-evaluate the length of time needed for these two developments. And we could add the calendar, cosmology, and mathematics the Mayas controlled so well.
But agriculture also required a new division of labor with a ruling elite and a religious organization that justified that ruling elite. That too required a few millennia if not many to develop little by little. This new elite is definitely male, but males are dominant through and through: the warriors are all men. The prisoners are all men. The sacrificed individuals, be they war-prisoners or plain volunteers, are all men.
That leads me to the most intriguing part of this civilization, the blood culture with two dimensions. Human sacrifice with beheading, dismembering and other slow progressive death rituals with war prisoners. But also the human sacrifice of volunteers, true volunteers or appointed volunteers, to get their heart ripped out of their chest, still beating in the living sacrificial individual. Another form is also known, with a young man attached to some sacrificial post and being slowly put to death with bows and arrows. The honor for the young man and his family depends on how he submits to the sacrifice and how long he lasts, which implies how skilled the bowmen are at hitting the young man in non-deadly places causing distress and suffering and thus measuring how the young man takes it.
Another form of blood sacrifice is alluded to but not explained. Men very often, within some ritual event, scarify themselves, particularly on their genitalia, to pour blood, the more the better. This is performed by the subject himself with no outside help. At this point, we can wonder why blood is so important in that culture. The explanation given in this book is that the Gods like blood. I think there is something else: to go through such rites, be they lethal or just scarifying, is not only satisfying the Gods (like Abraham nearly did with his two sons) but it also brings honor and social respect, maybe even social prominence, to the individual and his family. We could even wonder if the practice of men scarifying their genitals to pour blood is not a way to provide these men with the menstrual blood lettign they do not have naturally like women, a mesntruazl flow that is a sign of fertility.
A last a most recent discovery has to be put on the table here. Satellite pictures have shown that structures of the same type as the Maya pyramids and other buildings exist under the Amazonian rainforest. Either we have to state the Mayas moved that far south or we have to state that when the Ice Age arrived the Incas who were in Peru in the Andes were forced to come down, which they might have done even before the Ice Age and had settled in the Amazonian forest before even moving to Yucatan and Mesoamerica. This requires another approach to the migration of Homo Sapiens to America and states two migrations, one to South America after Easter Island of a stone culture. They would have arrived at the southern tip of Chile where an archaeological site is now reaching its second level dated around 25,000 BCE with a third level even lower and hence older. It is these people who would have moved north up to Mesoamerica over probably something like 10,000 years.
The second migration is from Siberia, over the Bering Straits before the peak of the Ice Age since they have been archaeologically proved as settled in Alaska and in Canada around 25,000 BCE (six thousand years before the peak of the Ice Age. Yet these do not seem to be directly connected to northern American Indians who probably arrived in a later migration probably just after the peak of this Ice Age. But now the Clovis Theory has been clearly proved false we can envisage new approaches, as I have just outlined above.
If you like cultural mysteries and rich cultures and civilizations this small book will be an excellent introduction.
Dr. Jacques COULARDEAU
September 4, 2017
Kindle Unlimited but got it on a freebie day. Yes, I read all of these one way or another.
In this captivating guide, you will discover why Maya have gained such worldwide admiration over the many other civilizations that existed in Mesoamerica at the time. You will learn how the Maya civilization developed, the major turning points in their 3,000-year-long history, the mysteries surrounding their demise, and some of the unique places where Maya exist to this day. Discover the origins of the Maya civilization and the Mesoamerican cultures that may have influenced them, find out why Maya (out of all the different tribes that existed in the region at the time) have captured the imagination of the West so much. The book will reveal how they lived, ate, slept, whom they worshipped, and how they used herbal medicines and hallucinogenic plants to treat the sick. The book will also track down the Maya living today, a population that is still six-million strong and adhere to many of the traditions that their ancestors once held. In among the battle tales and gore of human sacrifice, you will get some delicious cocoa recipes, Maya-style, that you can make at home. You will learn about their mythology, cosmology, and the solar calendar that resulted in the infamous doomsday scare back in 2012.
Some of the topics and questions covered in this book include:
Maya Timeline
Glossary of Important Maya Terms
How Maya measured the time
Food, Rites, and Gruesome Tales
The Maya beauty standards
The Decline of the Maya Civilization and Human Sacrifice
Inside Chichen Itza – features of Maya cities
The Maya Observatory (El Caracol)
Human sacrifice and the methods
The Kukulkan pyramid
Maya Today
Maya Creation Story
The Maya Cosmology
and much more
World History: Captivating Stories of Events That Shaped Our Planet (Forgotten History, History of the World, History Books)
Winston Churchill: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Winston S. Churchill
Franklin Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of FDR
Churchill and Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Franklin and Winston
Haitian Revolution: A Captivating Guide to the Abolition of Slavery
Adolf Hitler: A Captivating Guide to the Life of the Führer of Nazi Germany
Jackie Kennedy: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Maya Civilization: A Captivating Guide to Maya History and Maya Mythology (Mayan Civilization, Aztecs and Incas Book 1)
World War 2: A Captivating Guide from Beginning to End (The Second World War and D Day Book 1)
Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 1)
Egyptian Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 2)
Greek Mythology: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 3)
Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Greek Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, and Norse Mythology (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 4
Greek Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Ancient Greek Religion with Its Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 1)
Norse Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Sagas, Gods, Heroes, and Beliefs of the Vikings (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 2)
Egyptian Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters, and Mortals (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 3
In this captivating guide, you will discover why Maya have gained such worldwide admiration over the many other civilizations that existed in Mesoamerica at the time. You will learn how the Maya civilization developed, the major turning points in their 3,000-year-long history, the mysteries surrounding their demise, and some of the unique places where Maya exist to this day. Discover the origins of the Maya civilization and the Mesoamerican cultures that may have influenced them, find out why Maya (out of all the different tribes that existed in the region at the time) have captured the imagination of the West so much. The book will reveal how they lived, ate, slept, whom they worshipped, and how they used herbal medicines and hallucinogenic plants to treat the sick. The book will also track down the Maya living today, a population that is still six-million strong and adhere to many of the traditions that their ancestors once held. In among the battle tales and gore of human sacrifice, you will get some delicious cocoa recipes, Maya-style, that you can make at home. You will learn about their mythology, cosmology, and the solar calendar that resulted in the infamous doomsday scare back in 2012.
Some of the topics and questions covered in this book include:
Maya Timeline
Glossary of Important Maya Terms
How Maya measured the time
Food, Rites, and Gruesome Tales
The Maya beauty standards
The Decline of the Maya Civilization and Human Sacrifice
Inside Chichen Itza – features of Maya cities
The Maya Observatory (El Caracol)
Human sacrifice and the methods
The Kukulkan pyramid
Maya Today
Maya Creation Story
The Maya Cosmology
and much more
World History: Captivating Stories of Events That Shaped Our Planet (Forgotten History, History of the World, History Books)
Winston Churchill: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Winston S. Churchill
Franklin Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of FDR
Churchill and Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Franklin and Winston
Haitian Revolution: A Captivating Guide to the Abolition of Slavery
Adolf Hitler: A Captivating Guide to the Life of the Führer of Nazi Germany
Jackie Kennedy: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Maya Civilization: A Captivating Guide to Maya History and Maya Mythology (Mayan Civilization, Aztecs and Incas Book 1)
World War 2: A Captivating Guide from Beginning to End (The Second World War and D Day Book 1)
Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 1)
Egyptian Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 2)
Greek Mythology: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 3)
Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Greek Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, and Norse Mythology (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 4
Greek Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Ancient Greek Religion with Its Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 1)
Norse Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Sagas, Gods, Heroes, and Beliefs of the Vikings (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 2)
Egyptian Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters, and Mortals (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 3
April 5, 2018
Kindle Unlimited but got it on a freebie day.
In this captivating guide, you will discover why Maya have gained such worldwide admiration over the many other civilizations that existed in Mesoamerica at the time. You will learn how the Maya civilization developed, the major turning points in their 3,000-year-long history, the mysteries surrounding their demise, and some of the unique places where Maya exist to this day. Discover the origins of the Maya civilization and the Mesoamerican cultures that may have influenced them, find out why Maya (out of all the different tribes that existed in the region at the time) have captured the imagination of the West so much. The book will reveal how they lived, ate, slept, whom they worshipped, and how they used herbal medicines and hallucinogenic plants to treat the sick. The book will also track down the Maya living today, a population that is still six-million strong and adhere to many of the traditions that their ancestors once held. In among the battle tales and gore of human sacrifice, you will get some delicious cocoa recipes, Maya-style, that you can make at home. You will learn about their mythology, cosmology, and the solar calendar that resulted in the infamous doomsday scare back in 2012.
Some of the topics and questions covered in this book include:
Maya Timeline
Glossary of Important Maya Terms
How Maya measured the time
Food, Rites, and Gruesome Tales
The Maya beauty standards
The Decline of the Maya Civilization and Human Sacrifice
Inside Chichen Itza – features of Maya cities
The Maya Observatory (El Caracol)
Human sacrifice and the methods
The Kukulkan pyramid
Maya Today
Maya Creation Story
The Maya Cosmology
and much more
World History: Captivating Stories of Events That Shaped Our Planet (Forgotten History, History of the World, History Books)
Winston Churchill: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Winston S. Churchill
Franklin Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of FDR
Churchill and Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Franklin and Winston
Haitian Revolution: A Captivating Guide to the Abolition of Slavery
Adolf Hitler: A Captivating Guide to the Life of the Führer of Nazi Germany
Jackie Kennedy: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Maya Civilization: A Captivating Guide to Maya History and Maya Mythology (Mayan Civilization, Aztecs and Incas Book 1)
World War 2: A Captivating Guide from Beginning to End (The Second World War and D Day Book 1)
Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 1)
Egyptian Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 2)
Greek Mythology: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 3)
Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Greek Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, and Norse Mythology (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 4
Greek Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Ancient Greek Religion with Its Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 1)
Norse Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Sagas, Gods, Heroes, and Beliefs of the Vikings (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 2)
Egyptian Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters, and Mortals (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 3
Read less
In this captivating guide, you will discover why Maya have gained such worldwide admiration over the many other civilizations that existed in Mesoamerica at the time. You will learn how the Maya civilization developed, the major turning points in their 3,000-year-long history, the mysteries surrounding their demise, and some of the unique places where Maya exist to this day. Discover the origins of the Maya civilization and the Mesoamerican cultures that may have influenced them, find out why Maya (out of all the different tribes that existed in the region at the time) have captured the imagination of the West so much. The book will reveal how they lived, ate, slept, whom they worshipped, and how they used herbal medicines and hallucinogenic plants to treat the sick. The book will also track down the Maya living today, a population that is still six-million strong and adhere to many of the traditions that their ancestors once held. In among the battle tales and gore of human sacrifice, you will get some delicious cocoa recipes, Maya-style, that you can make at home. You will learn about their mythology, cosmology, and the solar calendar that resulted in the infamous doomsday scare back in 2012.
Some of the topics and questions covered in this book include:
Maya Timeline
Glossary of Important Maya Terms
How Maya measured the time
Food, Rites, and Gruesome Tales
The Maya beauty standards
The Decline of the Maya Civilization and Human Sacrifice
Inside Chichen Itza – features of Maya cities
The Maya Observatory (El Caracol)
Human sacrifice and the methods
The Kukulkan pyramid
Maya Today
Maya Creation Story
The Maya Cosmology
and much more
World History: Captivating Stories of Events That Shaped Our Planet (Forgotten History, History of the World, History Books)
Winston Churchill: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Winston S. Churchill
Franklin Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of FDR
Churchill and Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Franklin and Winston
Haitian Revolution: A Captivating Guide to the Abolition of Slavery
Adolf Hitler: A Captivating Guide to the Life of the Führer of Nazi Germany
Jackie Kennedy: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Maya Civilization: A Captivating Guide to Maya History and Maya Mythology (Mayan Civilization, Aztecs and Incas Book 1)
World War 2: A Captivating Guide from Beginning to End (The Second World War and D Day Book 1)
Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 1)
Egyptian Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 2)
Greek Mythology: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 3)
Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Greek Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, and Norse Mythology (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 4
Greek Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Ancient Greek Religion with Its Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 1)
Norse Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Sagas, Gods, Heroes, and Beliefs of the Vikings (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 2)
Egyptian Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters, and Mortals (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 3
Read less
August 18, 2023
Una lectura llena de conocimiento. Soy una persona que es amante de informarse y aprender cosas nuevas, y más aún si se trata de la cultura de mi país.
Es un libro muy bien documentado, que te narra de forma lineal y que, personalmente agradezco vaya desde los principios de las culturas, sin asumir si ya es algo que conocemos, pero sin profundizar demasiado en los detalles, haciéndolo digerible.
Gran historia para adentrarse en esto y conocer mucho más. Corta y concisa. Eso sí, con partes bastante fuertes y descriptivas en lo que respecta a los sacrificios, pero te avisan cuando sigue esa parte y lo tratan de forma que lo entiendas a cómo era el acto para ellos.
Es un libro muy bien documentado, que te narra de forma lineal y que, personalmente agradezco vaya desde los principios de las culturas, sin asumir si ya es algo que conocemos, pero sin profundizar demasiado en los detalles, haciéndolo digerible.
Gran historia para adentrarse en esto y conocer mucho más. Corta y concisa. Eso sí, con partes bastante fuertes y descriptivas en lo que respecta a los sacrificios, pero te avisan cuando sigue esa parte y lo tratan de forma que lo entiendas a cómo era el acto para ellos.
December 29, 2017
Good but too brief and apathetic
I don't know much about the Mayan civilization but the book is way too brief for someone who wants to understand the institutions and the culture beyond basic. Now this might be forgiven in a book that's written for a certain type of audience but to pass over Guatemalan tragedy involving Mayans and the Zapatista uprising, as Mayans caught in between cross fire made me throw up a little bit in my mouth. If the author does not know enough or does not feel comfortable writing about these cases, he should not have even mentioned them.
I don't know much about the Mayan civilization but the book is way too brief for someone who wants to understand the institutions and the culture beyond basic. Now this might be forgiven in a book that's written for a certain type of audience but to pass over Guatemalan tragedy involving Mayans and the Zapatista uprising, as Mayans caught in between cross fire made me throw up a little bit in my mouth. If the author does not know enough or does not feel comfortable writing about these cases, he should not have even mentioned them.
December 3, 2021
Fantastic short introduction
If you know very little about these guys and just want a quick overview than have I got a book for you.
This is an abbreviated overview that hits all the high points. If you'd like to look into things before committing to make this your collage major, this is a great starting point.
BONUS POINTS! This book admits that the european view of Mayans as either primitive or savage came entirely from the people who were try to kill and enslave them. The golden age of the Mayans lasted 800 years, that sound primitive to you?
If you know very little about these guys and just want a quick overview than have I got a book for you.
This is an abbreviated overview that hits all the high points. If you'd like to look into things before committing to make this your collage major, this is a great starting point.
BONUS POINTS! This book admits that the european view of Mayans as either primitive or savage came entirely from the people who were try to kill and enslave them. The golden age of the Mayans lasted 800 years, that sound primitive to you?
January 3, 2018
This is a good introduction to the history of the Mayan people, going into the various time periods of Mayan culture. It talks about climate change and has a reference to giants. (This is a controversial aspect of archaeology with some evidence holding there were actual giants but some saying the evidence is fake or misunderstood.) It also examines Mayan mythology, human sacrifice and the Mayan calendar. It also includes endnotes, maps of important settlements and other reference information.
January 12, 2020
Amazing
This book was very educational and in lighting. It is the first book I have ever read on the Mayan civilization and I am extremely grateful that I did. I also paired it with the National Geographic Mayans documentary. So to be able to read all this great information and also see the great city at the same time was an amazing combination.
This book was very educational and in lighting. It is the first book I have ever read on the Mayan civilization and I am extremely grateful that I did. I also paired it with the National Geographic Mayans documentary. So to be able to read all this great information and also see the great city at the same time was an amazing combination.
September 29, 2020
I loved learning about the Mayan culture in grade school so this was nice to revisit. This book goes in depth about the reason why the Mayans performed blood letting ceremonies. I did not know about Maya mythology so it was fun to learn the stories.
I love this brief history lessons! This was only 85 pages. I am hooked on this series.
I love this brief history lessons! This was only 85 pages. I am hooked on this series.
November 27, 2021
High Level History
The Captivating History series go a little deeper than the Hourly History series, and that’s often a good second step in your knowledge ladder of a new historical topic. Generally well written, you get positive and negative perspectives on the Maya, as well as a great discussion on their language, history and culture. A good read.
The Captivating History series go a little deeper than the Hourly History series, and that’s often a good second step in your knowledge ladder of a new historical topic. Generally well written, you get positive and negative perspectives on the Maya, as well as a great discussion on their language, history and culture. A good read.
April 14, 2018
Reviewed this as a possible textbook for study abroad students, but lacks depth and a few too many errors or misperceptions. I guess this would be okay to read on a plane on your way to your vacation in Cozumel, but if you like history, for better or worse, this will leave you wanting more.
March 19, 2019
Breve sumario
El libro podría ser útil como una superficial referencia al mundo Maya como una introducción a su estudio, de no están plagado de inexactitudes y errores que hacen su lectura una perdida de tiempo.
El libro podría ser útil como una superficial referencia al mundo Maya como una introducción a su estudio, de no están plagado de inexactitudes y errores que hacen su lectura una perdida de tiempo.
December 24, 2025
A nice primer for folks not super confident in telling their Olmec from their Maya from their Aztec civilizations. Hey Europe, these cats were tracking stars and planets with unbelievable precision when y’all were a forgotten backwater!
September 11, 2017
An excellent guide to the history of the Maya Civilization. Well written and filled with lots of interesting facts.
February 27, 2018
Good
A good and quick history of the Maya. If you are planning on visiting the Yucatan peninsula, this is a good book to familiarize yourself with the Mayan history.
A good and quick history of the Maya. If you are planning on visiting the Yucatan peninsula, this is a good book to familiarize yourself with the Mayan history.
April 16, 2018
Interesting Read
I ran a 4. I thought it was an interesting read. Love learning new things, and this definitely kept me reading.
I ran a 4. I thought it was an interesting read. Love learning new things, and this definitely kept me reading.
June 21, 2018
interesting, informative, basic, repetitive
July 19, 2018
A bit elementary but great summary
See above. Good for summary info but would have liked to have more detail about culture and society. Summary was great.
See above. Good for summary info but would have liked to have more detail about culture and society. Summary was great.
March 24, 2019
Poor
Some of the most basic information is incorrect or out of context. Not really a good introduction to this complex and fascinating civilization.
Some of the most basic information is incorrect or out of context. Not really a good introduction to this complex and fascinating civilization.
April 3, 2019
Very interesting
I didn't know much about the Mayan civilization before this book. It was very informative and I enjoyed every page
I didn't know much about the Mayan civilization before this book. It was very informative and I enjoyed every page
May 27, 2019
Short but informative
It was a quick read with some great information. it leaves you wanting more which I think is the point...
It was a quick read with some great information. it leaves you wanting more which I think is the point...
June 24, 2019
Interesting read I would like more details
I enjoyed this book but would have liked a lot more details, I thought it jumped.around a bit.too much also.
I enjoyed this book but would have liked a lot more details, I thought it jumped.around a bit.too much also.
October 23, 2017
This was an interesting, quick look at Mayan culture from a variety of angles. It does not go in-depth on any of them, or cite sources, but if you want some general knowledge about the Maya, this is a decent place to start.
August 7, 2018
This is such great insight into the Maya Civilization. Starting with their Golden Age to modern day, it discusses their gods, foods, leaders, and life.
This is a well thought out guide for those who are interested in the Maya Civilization.
This is a well thought out guide for those who are interested in the Maya Civilization.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews