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theaudioauditor's review
4.0
Audio book review.
A truly interesting read that flirts with that line between Science Fiction and Historical Fiction. I enjoy how it made me stop and go Huh! several times, pondering why things are the way they are, and how phenomena could be explained in this fantastic way. Would recommend this short fascinating read!
A truly interesting read that flirts with that line between Science Fiction and Historical Fiction. I enjoy how it made me stop and go Huh! several times, pondering why things are the way they are, and how phenomena could be explained in this fantastic way. Would recommend this short fascinating read!
zoomar's review
3.0
Pure entertainment. I read this when I was 10 and knew it was insane then, but it fired my imagination. I remember quoting it to religious people and their heads practically exploding.
koboldskind's review
It looks thought-provoking at first, but then you think, and it's only provoking.
kelseyjobrien's review
3.0
I had watched the first season of Ancient Aliens, and the way the show shed light on ancient civilizations really interested me, so I wanted to read the book that started it all.
This book was a very interesting read, and when I was 17, I thought it was the coolest thing ever and the key to the universe. Now that I've grown up a little, I can see how some of the things Daniken put forth are absolutely ludicrous (and even a little bit racist, like the fact that he really thinks the Mayan and Aztecs cultures weren't smart enough to build their own society, and needed extraterrestrial help), but some of his claims actually make a point. Not a, "this is fact!" point, but more of a, "oh, it is really interesting that there seems to be spacecraft in the Egyptian hieroglyphics. I wonder why," kind of point.
The key to reading this book is reading it as though it were a piece of AU fan fiction. We all know aliens didn't start our modern civilization. We know that they didn't use obelisks for energy for their spacecraft, and that they didn't breed with early humanoids. Is there other life in the universe? I'm sure there is. Did they visit Earth, build the pyramids, and mine our planet for gold? Nah.
So why did I give this 3 stars? Entertainment value. The fact that a man can look at ancient art and language and say to himself, "hm..it was aliens" is certainly entertaining. Would I recommend this book? Probably not, unless someone wanted a laugh.
This book was a very interesting read, and when I was 17, I thought it was the coolest thing ever and the key to the universe. Now that I've grown up a little, I can see how some of the things Daniken put forth are absolutely ludicrous (and even a little bit racist, like the fact that he really thinks the Mayan and Aztecs cultures weren't smart enough to build their own society, and needed extraterrestrial help), but some of his claims actually make a point. Not a, "this is fact!" point, but more of a, "oh, it is really interesting that there seems to be spacecraft in the Egyptian hieroglyphics. I wonder why," kind of point.
The key to reading this book is reading it as though it were a piece of AU fan fiction. We all know aliens didn't start our modern civilization. We know that they didn't use obelisks for energy for their spacecraft, and that they didn't breed with early humanoids. Is there other life in the universe? I'm sure there is. Did they visit Earth, build the pyramids, and mine our planet for gold? Nah.
So why did I give this 3 stars? Entertainment value. The fact that a man can look at ancient art and language and say to himself, "hm..it was aliens" is certainly entertaining. Would I recommend this book? Probably not, unless someone wanted a laugh.
kazemiko's review
3.0
This book was interesting. I didn't know at first what I was supposed to think of it. I liked it well enough, but since it was published back in the what, early sixties, a lot of the information that was in it is outdated. Science has advanced in the last 50+ years to the point where the impressive information they had, is old news to us here in 2018. I will definitely be looking for The Eyes of the Sphinx to read and compare to the this one. Maybe I will like them enough to continue reading books by him. Who knows? 3/5 stars because not as garbage as it could have been.
cangelmd's review
3.0
The 70s version of ... oh TAPS or MonsterQuest, something we all read and talked about, but didn't really believe. Fun.
nemosyn's review
3.0
If this book had contained actual facts, it would be my favourite non-fiction book of all time. It's a ripper of a read, very engaging, and required reading for kids who love UFOs, ghost stories, counterfactual history and mysteries.
It is also required reading for older kids who are learning to think critically and question what they are told, but this is best undertaken with adult assistance to encourage the reader to ask questions, investigate further, and dig up all the problems with the arguments and 'evidence' presented.
It only rates 3 stars because it's fiction pretending to be fact. If it gets reclassified as fiction, it's going straight up to 4 stars!
It is also required reading for older kids who are learning to think critically and question what they are told, but this is best undertaken with adult assistance to encourage the reader to ask questions, investigate further, and dig up all the problems with the arguments and 'evidence' presented.
It only rates 3 stars because it's fiction pretending to be fact. If it gets reclassified as fiction, it's going straight up to 4 stars!