They Came Before Columbus : The African Presence in Ancient America

Rating:
Summary: Great, Great, Great Book!!!!!
Review: I am simply shocked that there is currently no review of this landmark book. Indeed I came across this tome when I was attending Brown University and all I can say is that despite all the years, NO ONE, I REPEAT NO ONE has sucessfully disproved the theories contained therein. If anything the theories the book propounds seem more and more crediable as time as elapsed. Anyone looking for a book that reflects the interactive nature of cultures and people has indeed found the right place.

Rating:
Summary: Great, Great, Great Book!!!!!
Review: I am simply shocked that there is currently no review of this landmark book. Indeed I came across this tome when I was attending Brown University and all I can say is that despite all the years, NO ONE, I REPEAT NO ONE has sucessfully disproved the theories contained therein. If anything the theories the book propounds seem more and more crediable as time as elapsed. Anyone looking for a book that reflects the interactive nature of cultures and people has indeed found the right place.

Rating:
Summary: For Every Push There's A Shove
Review: I first read this book while living in South Carolina in the early 1990's, and it motivated me to read more books on the subject of African Diaspora-- in fact it motivated me to write about my feeling's on the matter for years. Some of the affects can be measured in my first book As the World Burns (1995) and the second, The First Time I: Performance Poetry & More (2004). I also watched one of his speeches on the subject on PBS. He definitely can back up what he said with proof. We all are in search of truth--the fact of the matter is what truth are you looking for, and are you willing to open your eyes. If you do then you, too, will feel shoved to push forward.

Rating:
Summary: The Olmecs May Just Be Indians After All.
Review: Most people would probably agree that at first glance the Olmec heads do resemble the faces of some Black Africans. Yes they do, but when compared to the faces of Mexican area Indians,there's also a similarity between them and the Olmecs stone heads. Van Sertima in another book on the same subject,uses the seven braids on the back of one of the Olmec heads as proof of their Africanism,but you will have a hard time finding an ancient Egyptian or Nubian match for this. Most paintings and sculptures of ancient Egyptians and Nubians with braids,usually show them with full headed braid styles,and not with just seven braids. So far no Olmec heads have been found with a full headed braid style like the Egyptians and Nubians. Also,multiple braids weren't uncommon with some ancient Indians. They have been found on the Andes mummies. So people shouldn't be so quick to rule out the obvious posibility that the Olmecs stone heads do depict Indians.



Rating:
Summary: I'm not convinced
Review: This book could be interesting, but the author never seems to present any definite, solid evidence for anything. I think the evidence is out there, but he does a poor job in conveying it. And he goes off on tangents about the racism of previous scholars that have nothing to do with the subject of African contact with the New World. I would recommend finding another book about this subject instead of reading this one.