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Summary: Excellent studied treatment of Afrocentrist mythology
Review: Been some time since I last recommended this book. As I read some of the reviews I am startled at the blatant ignorance and "twisting" of "facts" that strangely enough are attributed to Lefkowtiz but actually are the reviewers peculiar fantasies. Ramses357's lengthy treatment is a joke to anyone vaguely familiar with the book reviewed or the real history as opposed to the mangled interpretation given. Get a life or at least get your distortions straight. I highly recommend that interested students pick up "Black Athena Revisited" for a more scholarly treatment of the subject. "Out of Africa" is intended as a general overview. "Black Athena Revisited" has the pages of footnotes and academic prose that is often the death of anything that may otherwise be interesting. But if you are interested, the actual history is there as it is in the original sources. Long before Diop and his band of clowns went about destroying history in the move to make everything political (even or most especially the past), numerous scholarly ( without political axes to grind) treatments of these subjects had been published. They adhere to the old fashioned ideas of scholarship - uncover the facts first, then theorize. The radical Afrocentrist position is to make firm conclusions first (Ramses' condescending pretensions notwithstanding) then bend any facts that develop to fit the preconceived picture. But really, no one should be convinced by the reviews. Read the book. Read the Afrocentrist tracts too. A reasonable person with no ax to grind cannot help but be convinced of Lefkowitz's brilliant case.
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Summary: TRUTH CRUSHED FROM EARTH SHALL RISE AGAIN
Review: Afro-Centrism is not an excuse to teach myth. Whites are just afraid Black People will finally learn the truth, and that scares them.
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Summary: A scholarly and brave work of critical inquiry
Review: I read this book a year ago and posted a review on this page then. I described Mrs Lefkowitz's achievement as displaying, among other qualities, courage in facing down a political agenda that was incoherent, abusive and semi-literate. Having read the customer reviews that have since been posted, especially the last two (a "scholarary [sic] atrosity [sic]" indeed) I can only reflect that Mrs Lefkowitz's perspicacity must have had some influence on me.
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Summary: BOGUS ALERT. Blatant shortcoming revealed
Review: 1. She critiques the validity of EXPERT (people who have spent their entire careers studying the subject) opinions on Afrikan Antiquity and its relationship to ancient Europe, which there is nothing wrong with in itself, because NO ONE is beyond critique, but she admits that she has NEVER STUDIED AFRICA! Not ONE part. And the confirmation of her confession becomes more evident with each turned page. 2. She is an academic hypocrite. Throughout the book she reprimands "the Afrocentrists" she calls them, for numerous "flaws" when her own work presents the exact [alleged] "flaws" she prosecutes them for. For example, on page xiii she writes concerning the students of to ask questions, to read widely, and to challenge any and all assumptions, students were being indoctrinated along party lines." then on the "How could anyone suppose that the ancient Greeks were not the authors of their own philosophy and scientific theory?" A total contradiction. she blasts "The Afrocentrists" for (in her opinion) discouraging future scholars away from the scrutiny of everything they come across, then turns around and writes the unmistakeable equivalent of "How DARE someone scrutinize the GREEKS". Her slant of academic prejudice is revealed like a showing dress slip----apparently so deeply imbedded within the fabric of her ideologies that even under the pretense of "scholar" she does not recognize it. And before PAGE ONE is reached by the reader, it is evident that s/he is dealing with and extremely closed and partisan academic mind. 3. Due to her admitted ignorance of Kemet (Egypt), her work contains several glaring historical erros. On pages 2 and 3, she writes, "I asked [Dr. Yosef Ben Jochannan at one of his speeches] why she said that Aristotle had come to Egypt with Alexander and had stolen his philosophy from the Library of Alexandria, when that library had only been built after his death...the Library of Alexandria...was certainly built some years afer the city was founded, which was after both Aristotle's and Alexander's deaths." This statement no doubt arose from a sinister marriage of deceitful play with words and utter ignorance. If she had actually thoroughly STUDIED the very material that she has attempted to critique, she would have known that the Library of Alexandria was not claimed by Dr. Ben Jochannan to have been "stolen..from" in the manner in which she has depicted. When Alexander arrived in Kemet in 332 B.C., at the head of his objectives was to visit the Oracle of Ammon. With this being his main preoccupation, he allowed Aristotle to carry out his OWN personal agenda of running free through the sacred libraries at such sites as Waset (incorrectlyl called "Thebes" by the Greeks) and Luxor that HAD EXISTED FOR MILLENIUMS BY THE TIME ALEXANDER AND ARISTOTLE ARRIVED IN KEMET (Egypt). The Kemetic (Egyptian) peoples had in fact AIDED the Greeks in conquesting the country to drive off the Persians, who at that time were the conquerors and overlords of the land and were a COMMON ENEMY OF BOTH KEMET AND GREECE. Following the Persians' defeat by the Greeks (which much help from Kemetic forces), the victorious Greeks performed one of the first of what would become countless acts of betrayal to an African nation by a European nation that it had trusted. Aristotle and those that went with him to the Libraries stole what they could understand, and burned that which they could not, seeing them of no use. After Alexander's untimely death, General Soter (who later became Pharoah Ptolemy I , ancestor of Cleopatra (VII or VIII), the famous queen who is unfairly held in high regard in HIS-STORY due to her partial European heritage when in REALITY she did nothing while in office but have sex and plot deaths of her so called "loved ones"), his chief supporting commander, took over Kemet and declared himslef "Pharoah of all Egypt". Under his administration, Aristotle's pursuits were allowed to intensify until the vast majority of the knowledge in the sacred libraries had been liquidated from the shelves in some form or the other. With the stolen knowledge, the Library of Alexandria was later built in the honor of the late Alexander. It served as a center of learning for students imported from Greece who were taught by enslaved Kemetic priests who were forced to do so. As time passed, Alexander's name was placed upon the stolen workds contained in the Library at Alexandria, giving him false authorship. Much of this plagerization was done by Aristotle himself before his death, and the remainder by his surviving students and associates. Gaping holes and huge oversights such as this appear time and time again throughout Lefkowitz's book. 4. She re-affirms her prejudice throughout the work in such being put on the defensive when in ordinary circumstances there would have been nothing to be defensive about." Exactly of what "ordinary circumstances" does she speak? I'll TELL you what "circumstances". The traditional "circumstances" where due to European cultural bigotry coupled with Eurocenric ideological control of Academic learning and media black students, white students, and everyone in between "were not learning how to question themselves and others...not learning to distinguish facts from fiction, nor in fact were they learning how to think for themselves (to use the authors own words)" in classrooms and journals worldwide. The EXACT type of BRAINWASHING that she (Lefkowitz) accuses the "Afrocentrists" of on page 3 of her book. "Circumstances" which justify students learning from books on "World History" containing 25 chapters with 22 being about Europe and the 1 on Afrika (of which 'Egypt' is taught not to be apart despite every legitimate map which proves the contrary) being "optional reading". All the while ignoring the FACT that for the majority of human history, the people and cultures of Europe have not been a factor in important events taking place in the known world. Lefkowitz, in the flurry of her death cries of "brainwashing" by "the Afrocentrists" also conveniently looks over the FACT that their ("the Afrocentrists") students (both black and white) have spent an entire LIFETIME learning THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY under the "circumstances" described above---something that the students of Lefkowitz and her colleagues have all too likely not been afforded, despite her empty claims of "true scholarship". All before PAGE 5 of her book, the gamut of Lefkowitz's weaknesses and deviations from "true scholarship" are blatantly exposed. A sloppy job on her part at best---not to mention blindly prejedice and brimming over with double standards as well as gapin holes in major points. All in all, a sad excuse for "scholarship" INDEED and an insult to the intelligence and common sense of any reader who KNOWS BETTER. Hote
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Summary: This book is a sad attempt to preserve euro-academic racism!
Review: This book is an attempt to uphold the principles of scholorary racism that have been established by mainstream western "scholars". History does not lie and therefore the truth regarding the establishment of western "civil"ization is blatent and evident when one truly studies the history of the establishment of Greece. Has any one heard of Thales? What did he do? What did he get from Africa? What did he take to Greee? One needs only to present the hardcore evidence to these white collar racists to, hopefully, keep them from disrespecting the glorious works of the children of Black Afirca. It is indeed my opinion that Mary Lefkowitz is a prime charioteer of a racist agenda which seeks to mask the historical realities concerning the development of western "civilization". She and others are on a viscous campain to belittle the Afrocentric movement and its scholars on the premise that "Afrocentricity is a sorry attempt to elicit racial pride?" And even further that this is based on a myth? I hope that her book serves as an example of the serpentry of racism that strikes venom to the integrity and works of the founders of civilization. This book, and others like it, disrespect the thousands of years put into making such a glorious civilization, which had no problem in spoon feeding the culturally deficient greeks. Imagine what would happen to the western world if it is admitted and proven that they got their start from black people ions ahead of them. Look at the status of women in both cultures at the time? This reality would send shock waves to litle black children who go to school every day and are not shown the depth of the true greatness of their ancestors. It is even more disturbing that the text books that they read are written by people just like MAry Lefkowitz!!!
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Summary: This book is an atrosity!
Review: This book is an atrosity! THis book exemplifies contempporary scholarary racism and presents a bitter disregard for the genius and wisdom for the Black Africans whom were responsible for developing the one of ,if not the greatest civilizations in the world. IT is a shame that authors such as she are allowed to serve as foremost authorities on civilizations of antiquity!
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Summary: Arguments, at last
Review: Some critics in here tried to discredit the book. Yet they seem unable to see that it is based solely on facts, whether the Afrocentrism theory and its supporters use their pure imagination -if even that. Well written, explanative, scientific. Just the opposite of those it opposes. And, fellow Americans, has it ever occured to you that in your pitiful attempts to do good some injustice towards blacks, denying the Greeks all their achievements is highly politically incorrect? But I suppose this has no significance - the Blacks of America are more than the Greeks, huh? And Greece (and its time) so far away... Read some history, read some science, read some facts, read this book.
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Summary: Question
Review: When all of you say that the Egyptians were "white"....Do you mean according to a modern definition...or rather, to a modern American definition? Because, you are saying that Egypt -- which IS in AFRICA by the way -- had no people with any black (whatever that means) ancestry whatsoever, except of course for the slaves, who came from below the Sahara desert. I wonder that the same people who say the Egyptians were white, are so quick (in this country at least) to call anyone with a black ancestor, African-American, even if they are white in appearance. I understand why some are reluctant to apply today's standards to the past. Fine. But the fact remains, if you go to Egypt or Morocco, you see people (today and in the past) who would be identified as Black in this country. Interestingly enough, Egyptians who emigrate here are labeled caucasian, regardless of whether they look "black" or not. Race is a social construct and by manipulating that construct, people are attempting to claim that the ancient Egyptians were white. For years, this has been accepted as fact. Yet, that they were of a mixed racial heritage is easy for anyone to see. Even today, you can see that. I am a very light-skinned "black" American, and I've visited North Africa, and yes, I saw MANY people who looked just like me. All you have to do is read some of these reviews to see that many reviewers still believe that Africans, excuse me, black Africans, weren't capable of developing a civilization by themselves. It doesn't matter how much evidence anyone has to prove that the Egyptians were black. People have already made up their minds. You could bring a dead black Egyptian to life and someone would find a way to discount (or explain away) his appearance. The only reputable history is that written by white scholars. Haven't you learned? If there is anything worthwhile on this planet (save for music or athletics) black folks have nothing to do it. Right. Just remember history=his-story. is there anything more to say?
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Summary: Who cares ....
Review: Books which go out on a limb to celebrate (or degrade) one culture over another is the reason why we have such turmoil today. I did not find this a racist book, it was fair in its accessments, but I don't think whether the ancient Egyptians were Greek, Black, or White is significant. To me it doesn't matter if they were a race of one-eyed cyclops ... What's more important than where we've been is where we're going. And, based upon the bitter and biased reviews this book fomented, I'm more concerned with the latter. I must agree with the reviewer from Los Angeles. There should be less concern about having great ancestors and more on being a good one.
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Summary: Excellent
Review: Prof. Lefkowitz is an expert in ancient Greek history. As such, she is in a position to evaluate the truth of the claims made by Afrocentric fraudsters and liars masquerading as "scholasr". After carefully weighing up the evidence (as all true academics do), she has found that the Afrocentric claims have zero credibility - except at Mickey Mouse institutions such as Temple University. The fact is this: can Afrocentric scholars come up with detailed, technical, rigorously peer-reviewed arguments and evidence to support their claims? No! End of story really...
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