Rating: 
Summary: Comment
Review: While an interesting tale, it may be of interest to readers to know that the elders of many Aboriginal communities in Australia, including communities in Western Australia, from whence originate the 'tribe' this woman claims to have been with, deny the authenticity and 'facts' quoted herein. In fact, the most polite thing many of these elders have had to say is that it is a white woman's fantasy
Rating: 
Summary: It's a good message vehicle
Review: I hope there is truth in what I read. I did not think the author portrayed the indigenous peoples unfairly, in fact, quite the contrary. The wisdom is timely and allows other indigenous cultures supporting voice in a time when nature has been marginalized to a serious degree. I highly recommend
Rating: 
Summary: A Thought-Provoking Look at Our Society
Review: Ms Morgan shows readers our society through the eyes of people unfamiliar with it. The shift in viewpoint allows her to illustrate beliefs the readers accept as absolute truths rather than changeable perspectives. Regardless of whether the physical journey occurred, the reader joins the author in exploring our society from outside. Ms Morgan presented a refreshing, earth-healthy viewpoint through the vehicle of an entertaining, exciting journey through the Australian Outback. A wonderful story; I did not want it to end
Rating: 
Summary: An abysmal story, and badly written at that...
Review: I read this just after finishing
"Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn. What a huge letdown. To begin with, it is badly written,
full of vague New Age mumbo-jumbo
(which reflects badly on the author, not New Age philosophy), and begins with a ridiculous
premise. The notion of
anyone driving into unknown wilderness with a total stranger, permitting other total strangers to torch her posessions, and then
follow them around for 4
months, is beyond
ludicrous. The descriptions
of the purported native
people were also often
patronizing and insulting.
There may have
been a few valid points
buried here and there, but
they were not new, not
revealing, and not worth
plowing through the rest. I kept reading because I
hoped it would improve. It
didn't. And then to discover
that it was published as a "true
story" until questions arose
regarding whether the
author was even in Australia
at the time or under the
circumstances described - don't waste your money or
your time. Read" Ishmal" and
"The Story of B" by Daniel
Quinn, or the new book by
Tom Hayden, "The Lost
Gospel of the Earth." Life is too short to read bad books.
Rating:
Summary: This book was very exciting reading with a powerful message.
Review: Ms. Morgan found herself in the Austrailan Outback with a tribe of Aborigines on the adventure of a lifetime. For 4 months she lived with this particular tribe as they prepared her to receive from them their many secrets. At the end, she had learned many things about the tribe and herself. She became more like them and was constantly amazed at the things she was learning. In the end, she was given many secrets of the tribe, which spoke to many problems in the world and the need for them to be addressed. They selected this particular author, because of work that she was doing with other Aborigines in Austrailia and they thought that she would be a good person to spread their message. She learned a lot and I did to just from reading the book. Enjoy
Rating:
Summary: Myths from Down Under
Review:
Although the pro-ecology message in the book is good, I have serious doubts as to the authenticity of the story. I am an Australian, I lived in the bush with Aboriginal people when I was a boy. I studied Aboriginal art, history and material culture at University and I now work in a programme devoted to training Aboriginal people. These people are my friends, I know them.
This book reads like one of the 18th century travel novels, i.e Gulliver's Travels etc.. Not in the quality of the written word but in the vagueness of the tale and details. The country that is said to be Australia could be any ex-colonial nation. The people could be native American or African. The details of Aboriginal culture that are thrown in are clinical in a way that makes me think they were copied from the same texts I studied from.
The lack of any place names, store names etc, those little details that mark the quality travel books, is explained away by a need to protect the "real people". The folk law seems to be a synthasis of many different indiginous cultures I have studied.
What I am getting at is I believe that this book is a misrepresentaion of the Aboriginal people, and is basicaly a money making exersize aimed at the retro hippy market and city dwelling Americans who want to touch something a bit primative and mystical.
It could have been written by anyone who has a fleeting knowledge of Australia and a passing interest in the Aboriginal people and a good reference library. In fact I could have written it myself, and inserted some stories from my Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander friend to spice it up a bit.
If you have to read it, read it as a work of fiction (the library of congress thinks it is).
In conclusion
The pro ecology messege is admirable, but the use of the Aboriginal people and the misrepresentation of Australia is deplorable
Rating:
Summary: Fraudulent exposé of Black Australians at its worse.
Review: This book was originally self-published as non fiction by Ms Morgan. The result was an insult to the indigenous people of Australia. I know the region of Australia and the people very well that she writes about and she does not even describe the topography acurately let alone those she says she lived with and had amazing adventures with. She is a fraud and so is this book. It should be withdrawn from sale in deference to the people it insults. Come on America have you learnt nothing by the maltreatment of your own indigenous people leave ours alone, please! I rate this book a one because of the efforts of the clever publicist, the book's content gets a full zero
Rating:
Summary: Ten doesn't even start to measure the impact of this story
Review: The realism of this adventure comes home to anyone who
has an awarness that we are all connected and this trip
simply said "We all are part of this world and we are
responsible to be aware of our responsibilities". Why does
it take someone to touch us from thousands of miles away?
The amazing part of this adventure is the authors acceptance
of her daily fate-come what may.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Novel
Review: Despite arguements about the precision of the facts in the book, I found this book engaging and impossible to put down. For all those jaded literary snobs, don't bother, but if you like a good story and are prepared to suspend disbelief for a short time you will find this book just what the doctor ordered
Rating:
Summary: Aborigines want bes - seller ban- mutant message
Review: http://xp3.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?recnum
"It is hoped by me that each and every one of you Spiritual Elders will be able to support in whatever way you can. It is to deal with our Indigenous Ancient Living Culture and how this woman, Marlo Morgan of America, a white woman, from Kansas City, is trying to destroy it through her book 'Mutant Message Dwonunder' and through her lecture tours over the US, Europe and parts of the world. It is through the eruption of Marlo exploiting our Culture and our Blackfella Religion and our Sense of Belonging that our Elders and People Australia-wide have become deeply concerned with this issue. Marlo Morgan is becoming a rich woman overnight and telling liew about our Beliefs and culture.
Contact: The Swan Valley Nyungah Community
c/o Post Office, Guildford 6055 Western Australia
Fax:011619 377 3559 or Patricia Friedel 415 673 9102
This woman deceived us all!
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