"1491 : New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus" by Charles Mann

Attention: this book will generate a whole new interest in you – a rare hunger for knowledge and understanding of the historical progression of the peoples of the North and South American continents.

What Jared Diamond did for the Old World with his “Guns, Germs and Steel” and “Collapse”, Mr. Mann does with this book. With an exceptional clarity of thought and abundant research, the author examines the Paleo-Indian civilizations with their demographics, cultural development, agricultural and scientific advancements, architectural and religious inclinations.

From rare archeological finds to modern theories of migration, the author’s accounts of the life and times of the early inhabitants of the Western hemisphere never failed to surprise or fascinate me. The book examines in detail the lost civilizations of the Incas, the Mayas, the Olmec, the Clovis and a host of tribes in North America.

I was awestruck to find that Indian civilizations were actually the ones to discover the Wheel, the number 0 (zero), and the modern Calendar among other things.If you enjoy a good non-fiction reading, this is the book for your. I also believe this should be a required reading for all High School students.

-by Simon Cleveland