An epic (history changing) story, well told, 13 Nov 2008
when I recieved this book I was disappointed by the lack of detailed photographs or illustrations of the Antikythera device. This is not so much a book about the device, but the story of its discovery and recognition.

The story is told as a series of biographies of the people who have helped to bring the device to light. I found the story increasingly compelling as each of the characters was brought to life. The story provides the rich context necessary for appreciating their contributions.

Discovery of the Antikythera device pushes "modern" technology right back into ancient history, as the sleve note says - "At heart an epic adventure story... ". (well told and true I would like to add).

I would recommend anyone to read this book, before looking for the photos, Xrays and illustrations to explain the Antikythera device. I think I may have learned a great deal about the device from this book, without noticing I was doing it. The story is so captivating the technicalities seem to be absorbed without effort.

It probably does help to have some understanding of astronomy and calendars to appreciate some of the technical stuff, but for me, the story could make a great film ! The book makes a great read.

An epic (history changing) story, well told, 13 Nov 2008
when I recieved this book I was disappointed by the lack of detailed photographs or illustrations of the Antikythera device. This is not so much a book about the device, but the story of its discovery and recognition.

The story is told as a series of biographies of the people who have helped to bring the device to light. I found the story increasingly compelling as each of the characters was brought to life. The story provides the rich context necessary for appreciating their contributions.

Discovery of the Antikythera device pushes "modern" technology right back into ancient history, as the sleve note says - "At heart an epic adventure story... ". (well told and true I would like to add).

I would recommend anyone to read this book, before looking for the photos, Xrays and illustrations to explain the Antikythera device. I think I may have learned a great deal about the device from this book, without noticing I was doing it. The story is so captivating the technicalities seem to be absorbed without effort.

It probably does help to have some understanding of astronomy and calendars to appreciate some of the technical stuff, but for me, the story could make a great film ! The book makes a great read.

The nature of time and space, explained, 25 Oct 2008
The nature of space and time is not a problem that puzzles
physicists, mathematicians and philosophers only. For historians,
time and space are two of the three most important categories we need
to consider in our analyses. This volume helps put the debate on time
and space into a wider context, making a cross disciplinary
discussion about the elements that are at the very heart of modern
science available to non experts whilst, at the same time, offering
cutting-edge research on the enigma of time and space. This book was
an eye-opener for me as I had no idea that so much on this topic was
still such a mystery even to physicists. There are chapters on dark
matter and energy, on quantum symmetry, on Penrose's pre- Big Bang
theory, on particle physics, and on philosophical and theological
implications of space and time. It is a book of different levels and
in my case the technical aspects were always going to be challenging,
but its nice to know that the arguments are there for readers who
want to work through them. The chapters covering philosophy and
theology would be a good place to start. This volume is a must-read
for those wishing to understand when did "time" begin, and where is
that thing which some call "space"? And it also looks really good on
my coffee table right next to The Brief History of Time and my
battered copy of The End of History.

An epic (history changing) story, well told, 13 Nov 2008
when I recieved this book I was disappointed by the lack of detailed photographs or illustrations of the Antikythera device. This is not so much a book about the device, but the story of its discovery and recognition.

The story is told as a series of biographies of the people who have helped to bring the device to light. I found the story increasingly compelling as each of the characters was brought to life. The story provides the rich context necessary for appreciating their contributions.

Discovery of the Antikythera device pushes "modern" technology right back into ancient history, as the sleve note says - "At heart an epic adventure story... ". (well told and true I would like to add).

I would recommend anyone to read this book, before looking for the photos, Xrays and illustrations to explain the Antikythera device. I think I may have learned a great deal about the device from this book, without noticing I was doing it. The story is so captivating the technicalities seem to be absorbed without effort.

It probably does help to have some understanding of astronomy and calendars to appreciate some of the technical stuff, but for me, the story could make a great film ! The book makes a great read.

The nature of time and space, explained, 25 Oct 2008
The nature of space and time is not a problem that puzzles
physicists, mathematicians and philosophers only. For historians,
time and space are two of the three most important categories we need
to consider in our analyses. This volume helps put the debate on time
and space into a wider context, making a cross disciplinary
discussion about the elements that are at the very heart of modern
science available to non experts whilst, at the same time, offering
cutting-edge research on the enigma of time and space. This book was
an eye-opener for me as I had no idea that so much on this topic was
still such a mystery even to physicists. There are chapters on dark
matter and energy, on quantum symmetry, on Penrose's pre- Big Bang
theory, on particle physics, and on philosophical and theological
implications of space and time. It is a book of different levels and
in my case the technical aspects were always going to be challenging,
but its nice to know that the arguments are there for readers who
want to work through them. The chapters covering philosophy and
theology would be a good place to start. This volume is a must-read
for those wishing to understand when did "time" begin, and where is
that thing which some call "space"? And it also looks really good on
my coffee table right next to The Brief History of Time and my
battered copy of The End of History.


Worth reading, 22 Nov 2007
One of the most logical and interesting books in the recent time! It has no scent of New Age channeling which is always so identical that it lost both its impact and meaning. And things are so logically explained that one may wonder how did it not occured to us earlier this way of rewriting history. I recommend this book to everyone who wants information and genuine thinking.

Great book - a must read!, 12 Sep 2007
Well written and researched and a classic of its genre. Not too sure about the dates as I tend to favour 2012 and Calleman brings it forward to 2011 - but whatever the detail the broad strategy is the same - we live in 'end' times and it's an honour to be here at this 'time'. Read it, grasp it and hopefully apply it.

In this book, David Ewing Duncan traces the development of our modern-day calendar and describes how people's experiences are shaped by their conception of time. Duncan postulates that all this concern with time started when a Cro-Magnon man decided to mark off the days of the lunar cycle on an eagle bone. After recounting the slow evolution of the calendar through the centuries, the author laments how time oriented our society has become: "There are moments when I am hopelessly late, or cannot possibly fit anything else into my schedule, when I sigh and wish that Cro-Magnon man 13,000 years ago in the Dordogne Valley had set aside his eagle bone and gone to bed."

The book is organised in chronological order and focuses mainly on the centuries leading up to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar (our modern calendar) by the Catholic Church in 1582. Along the way, Duncan describes the ancient calendars of many cultures all over the globe, from India to Egypt to the Mayan empire. During the Middle Ages, Christian churches discouraged scientific inquiry on the theory that it was wrong to question the nature of God's creation. This severely hampered the refinement of the calendar and the advancement of many academic pursuits. By the 16th century, Europe's calendars were 11 days out of sync with the solar year, which meant Easter was being celebrated on the wrong day. An infusion of knowledge from India and the Middle East helped Europeans get back on track. Duncan profiles the many mathematicians, philosophers, and monks who made organising time their life's work. This book honours the efforts of those scholars and examines the way politics and religion influenced societal perceptions of time through the ages. --Jill Marquis, Amazon.com

An epic (history changing) story, well told, 13 Nov 2008
when I recieved this book I was disappointed by the lack of detailed photographs or illustrations of the Antikythera device. This is not so much a book about the device, but the story of its discovery and recognition.

The story is told as a series of biographies of the people who have helped to bring the device to light. I found the story increasingly compelling as each of the characters was brought to life. The story provides the rich context necessary for appreciating their contributions.

Discovery of the Antikythera device pushes "modern" technology right back into ancient history, as the sleve note says - "At heart an epic adventure story... ". (well told and true I would like to add).

I would recommend anyone to read this book, before looking for the photos, Xrays and illustrations to explain the Antikythera device. I think I may have learned a great deal about the device from this book, without noticing I was doing it. The story is so captivating the technicalities seem to be absorbed without effort.

It probably does help to have some understanding of astronomy and calendars to appreciate some of the technical stuff, but for me, the story could make a great film ! The book makes a great read.

The nature of time and space, explained, 25 Oct 2008
The nature of space and time is not a problem that puzzles
physicists, mathematicians and philosophers only. For historians,
time and space are two of the three most important categories we need
to consider in our analyses. This volume helps put the debate on time
and space into a wider context, making a cross disciplinary
discussion about the elements that are at the very heart of modern
science available to non experts whilst, at the same time, offering
cutting-edge research on the enigma of time and space. This book was
an eye-opener for me as I had no idea that so much on this topic was
still such a mystery even to physicists. There are chapters on dark
matter and energy, on quantum symmetry, on Penrose's pre- Big Bang
theory, on particle physics, and on philosophical and theological
implications of space and time. It is a book of different levels and
in my case the technical aspects were always going to be challenging,
but its nice to know that the arguments are there for readers who
want to work through them. The chapters covering philosophy and
theology would be a good place to start. This volume is a must-read
for those wishing to understand when did "time" begin, and where is
that thing which some call "space"? And it also looks really good on
my coffee table right next to The Brief History of Time and my
battered copy of The End of History.


Worth reading, 22 Nov 2007
One of the most logical and interesting books in the recent time! It has no scent of New Age channeling which is always so identical that it lost both its impact and meaning. And things are so logically explained that one may wonder how did it not occured to us earlier this way of rewriting history. I recommend this book to everyone who wants information and genuine thinking.

Great book - a must read!, 12 Sep 2007
Well written and researched and a classic of its genre. Not too sure about the dates as I tend to favour 2012 and Calleman brings it forward to 2011 - but whatever the detail the broad strategy is the same - we live in 'end' times and it's an honour to be here at this 'time'. Read it, grasp it and hopefully apply it.

Time and Power, 28 Jan 2008
A appealing fact-jammed book about something we use everyday - the calendar.
I never thought there were so many events and people involved in its story dating back to time immemorial. Facts at times amusing, others outright dramatic.
It's fascinating the interplay between time and who dictates it. Control over time and its deployment gives boundless power to the beholder that usually one can't even ponder.
Last one on the list is the Roman Catholic Church, who's reform on the calendar is the one we're still using today.
A reform that started, not for any scientific endeavour but for the down to earth task of celebrating Easter on the appropriate day!


Instructive and accessible general overview, 11 Sep 2005
A long and instructive journey through time and time measuring. The reader is taken from civilizations using the moon cycles to measure time to the first solar calendars, the successive way of naming of the months and days, the secularisation of the concept of "hour" leaving the monastic rhythm to correspond to a certain amount of time indicated on the first mechanical clocks, and more and more accurate mathematical concepts and instruments of measure, since the researches go on.

No need to be a clockmaker or good at mathematics, however: everything is said in plain English, with even a pinch of suspense that keeps pushing you towards the next page.

Since the story of the calendar is closely related to that of Western social structure, the balance between religious and secular powers, and our daily life and beliefs, it also informs us on our cultural history. We discover, for instance, the importance of the long debate about when exactly Easter should be celebrated at a time when the Christian Churches (Catholic and Orthodox, mainly) had great political powers. We also see how life in growing cities of merchants imposed agreements on the calendar that would allow deadlines to be fixed and respected, and actions to be taken against those who wouldn't meet them.

The book gives a succession of key-moments or smaller events, which remind us of the extreme relativity of something we tend to take for granted - the calendar.

It is written with a pleasant fluency by an author who clearly recognizes he isn't an expert in the field but obviously researched the subject with great care. Some points are maybe treated a bit too extensively, but let's take it for a side-effect of the author's enthusiam.

Fascinating, 22 Aug 2004
The Calendar is a masterful account of something we are all familiar with on a daily basis, and mostly just take for granted. The story of how the calendar took shape, from mankind's starting position of knowing nothing about the environment he lived in, up to modern times is fascinating, and spans many great civilisations and religions.

An excellent book that will turn you into a time-geek!, 12 Feb 2003
This is the best popular science book I have read, the subject matter is easily accessible and the story of the development of the calendar is well told. The writing is extremely engaging and does not revert to jargon. I read this book before the Millennium which possibly gave it more impact, but I still think it is an excellent story well narrated. This is the sort of book that will cause you to annoy everyone who comes into contact as you wisely tell them of the snippets of fascinating facts that this book contains. I have loaned this book to people who have read it and then bought their own copy so they can regale people with these facts. Personally this is THE "must buy" book of popular science

I you are looking for a fast compendium ..., 01 Dec 2001
...of the last history of the calendar: this is the one. It takes a good picture of how Religion and State affairs had influenced its development. Once you read this book you will have an almost complete idea on where to look next for more information on the subject. There are other books about calendars (or Calendrical Calculations) but they fail to gather all the tiny details and present them in a complete and consistent way.

An epic (history changing) story, well told, 13 Nov 2008
when I recieved this book I was disappointed by the lack of detailed photographs or illustrations of the Antikythera device. This is not so much a book about the device, but the story of its discovery and recognition.

The story is told as a series of biographies of the people who have helped to bring the device to light. I found the story increasingly compelling as each of the characters was brought to life. The story provides the rich context necessary for appreciating their contributions.

Discovery of the Antikythera device pushes "modern" technology right back into ancient history, as the sleve note says - "At heart an epic adventure story... ". (well told and true I would like to add).

I would recommend anyone to read this book, before looking for the photos, Xrays and illustrations to explain the Antikythera device. I think I may have learned a great deal about the device from this book, without noticing I was doing it. The story is so captivating the technicalities seem to be absorbed without effort.

It probably does help to have some understanding of astronomy and calendars to appreciate some of the technical stuff, but for me, the story could make a great film ! The book makes a great read.

The nature of time and space, explained, 25 Oct 2008
The nature of space and time is not a problem that puzzles
physicists, mathematicians and philosophers only. For historians,
time and space are two of the three most important categories we need
to consider in our analyses. This volume helps put the debate on time
and space into a wider context, making a cross disciplinary
discussion about the elements that are at the very heart of modern
science available to non experts whilst, at the same time, offering
cutting-edge research on the enigma of time and space. This book was
an eye-opener for me as I had no idea that so much on this topic was
still such a mystery even to physicists. There are chapters on dark
matter and energy, on quantum symmetry, on Penrose's pre- Big Bang
theory, on particle physics, and on philosophical and theological
implications of space and time. It is a book of different levels and
in my case the technical aspects were always going to be challenging,
but its nice to know that the arguments are there for readers who
want to work through them. The chapters covering philosophy and
theology would be a good place to start. This volume is a must-read
for those wishing to understand when did "time" begin, and where is
that thing which some call "space"? And it also looks really good on
my coffee table right next to The Brief History of Time and my
battered copy of The End of History.


Worth reading, 22 Nov 2007
One of the most logical and interesting books in the recent time! It has no scent of New Age channeling which is always so identical that it lost both its impact and meaning. And things are so logically explained that one may wonder how did it not occured to us earlier this way of rewriting history. I recommend this book to everyone who wants information and genuine thinking.

Great book - a must read!, 12 Sep 2007
Well written and researched and a classic of its genre. Not too sure about the dates as I tend to favour 2012 and Calleman brings it forward to 2011 - but whatever the detail the broad strategy is the same - we live in 'end' times and it's an honour to be here at this 'time'. Read it, grasp it and hopefully apply it.

Time and Power, 28 Jan 2008
A appealing fact-jammed book about something we use everyday - the calendar.
I never thought there were so many events and people involved in its story dating back to time immemorial. Facts at times amusing, others outright dramatic.
It's fascinating the interplay between time and who dictates it. Control over time and its deployment gives boundless power to the beholder that usually one can't even ponder.
Last one on the list is the Roman Catholic Church, who's reform on the calendar is the one we're still using today.
A reform that started, not for any scientific endeavour but for the down to earth task of celebrating Easter on the appropriate day!


Instructive and accessible general overview, 11 Sep 2005
A long and instructive journey through time and time measuring. The reader is taken from civilizations using the moon cycles to measure time to the first solar calendars, the successive way of naming of the months and days, the secularisation of the concept of "hour" leaving the monastic rhythm to correspond to a certain amount of time indicated on the first mechanical clocks, and more and more accurate mathematical concepts and instruments of measure, since the researches go on.

No need to be a clockmaker or good at mathematics, however: everything is said in plain English, with even a pinch of suspense that keeps pushing you towards the next page.

Since the story of the calendar is closely related to that of Western social structure, the balance between religious and secular powers, and our daily life and beliefs, it also informs us on our cultural history. We discover, for instance, the importance of the long debate about when exactly Easter should be celebrated at a time when the Christian Churches (Catholic and Orthodox, mainly) had great political powers. We also see how life in growing cities of merchants imposed agreements on the calendar that would allow deadlines to be fixed and respected, and actions to be taken against those who wouldn't meet them.

The book gives a succession of key-moments or smaller events, which remind us of the extreme relativity of something we tend to take for granted - the calendar.

It is written with a pleasant fluency by an author who clearly recognizes he isn't an expert in the field but obviously researched the subject with great care. Some points are maybe treated a bit too extensively, but let's take it for a side-effect of the author's enthusiam.

Fascinating, 22 Aug 2004
The Calendar is a masterful account of something we are all familiar with on a daily basis, and mostly just take for granted. The story of how the calendar took shape, from mankind's starting position of knowing nothing about the environment he lived in, up to modern times is fascinating, and spans many great civilisations and religions.

An excellent book that will turn you into a time-geek!, 12 Feb 2003
This is the best popular science book I have read, the subject matter is easily accessible and the story of the development of the calendar is well told. The writing is extremely engaging and does not revert to jargon. I read this book before the Millennium which possibly gave it more impact, but I still think it is an excellent story well narrated. This is the sort of book that will cause you to annoy everyone who comes into contact as you wisely tell them of the snippets of fascinating facts that this book contains. I have loaned this book to people who have read it and then bought their own copy so they can regale people with these facts. Personally this is THE "must buy" book of popular science

I you are looking for a fast compendium ..., 01 Dec 2001
...of the last history of the calendar: this is the one. It takes a good picture of how Religion and State affairs had influenced its development. Once you read this book you will have an almost complete idea on where to look next for more information on the subject. There are other books about calendars (or Calendrical Calculations) but they fail to gather all the tiny details and present them in a complete and consistent way.

2012 and the Galactic Center, 07 Nov 2008
Over the past few years, a lot of literature (both non-fiction and fictional) has appeared that touches upon the fact that in 2012 the Mayan calendar ends. The majority of people seem to support the "end of the world" scenario. The common perception is that once the calendar runs out so does our time on earth.

2012 and the Galactic Center provides a far more positive outlook. The author suggests that the end of the calendar merely represents the end of a cycle. Moreover, the end of this cycle makes way for a new much more positive cycle.

To prove her point, the author draws upon mythology, archetypes, and symbols from a variety of other ancient belief systems. Essentially, her message is simple: that each of us is responsible for fulfilling our own spiritual journey and that each of us that takes on the challenge adds strength to the whole. 2012 and the Galactic Center is very well written and extremely powerful.

An epic (history changing) story, well told, 13 Nov 2008
when I recieved this book I was disappointed by the lack of detailed photographs or illustrations of the Antikythera device. This is not so much a book about the device, but the story of its discovery and recognition.

The story is told as a series of biographies of the people who have helped to bring the device to light. I found the story increasingly compelling as each of the characters was brought to life. The story provides the rich context necessary for appreciating their contributions.

Discovery of the Antikythera device pushes "modern" technology right back into ancient history, as the sleve note says - "At heart an epic adventure story... ". (well told and true I would like to add).

I would recommend anyone to read this book, before looking for the photos, Xrays and illustrations to explain the Antikythera device. I think I may have learned a great deal about the device from this book, without noticing I was doing it. The story is so captivating the technicalities seem to be absorbed without effort.

It probably does help to have some understanding of astronomy and calendars to appreciate some of the technical stuff, but for me, the story could make a great film ! The book makes a great read.

The nature of time and space, explained, 25 Oct 2008
The nature of space and time is not a problem that puzzles
physicists, mathematicians and philosophers only. For historians,
time and space are two of the three most important categories we need
to consider in our analyses. This volume helps put the debate on time
and space into a wider context, making a cross disciplinary
discussion about the elements that are at the very heart of modern
science available to non experts whilst, at the same time, offering
cutting-edge research on the enigma of time and space. This book was
an eye-opener for me as I had no idea that so much on this topic was
still such a mystery even to physicists. There are chapters on dark
matter and energy, on quantum symmetry, on Penrose's pre- Big Bang
theory, on particle physics, and on philosophical and theological
implications of space and time. It is a book of different levels and
in my case the technical aspects were always going to be challenging,
but its nice to know that the arguments are there for readers who
want to work through them. The chapters covering philosophy and
theology would be a good place to start. This volume is a must-read
for those wishing to understand when did "time" begin, and where is
that thing which some call "space"? And it also looks really good on
my coffee table right next to The Brief History of Time and my
battered copy of The End of History.


Worth reading, 22 Nov 2007
One of the most logical and interesting books in the recent time! It has no scent of New Age channeling which is always so identical that it lost both its impact and meaning. And things are so logically explained that one may wonder how did it not occured to us earlier this way of rewriting history. I recommend this book to everyone who wants information and genuine thinking.

Great book - a must read!, 12 Sep 2007
Well written and researched and a classic of its genre. Not too sure about the dates as I tend to favour 2012 and Calleman brings it forward to 2011 - but whatever the detail the broad strategy is the same - we live in 'end' times and it's an honour to be here at this 'time'. Read it, grasp it and hopefully apply it.

Time and Power, 28 Jan 2008
A appealing fact-jammed book about something we use everyday - the calendar.
I never thought there were so many events and people involved in its story dating back to time immemorial. Facts at times amusing, others outright dramatic.
It's fascinating the interplay between time and who dictates it. Control over time and its deployment gives boundless power to the beholder that usually one can't even ponder.
Last one on the list is the Roman Catholic Church, who's reform on the calendar is the one we're still using today.
A reform that started, not for any scientific endeavour but for the down to earth task of celebrating Easter on the appropriate day!


Instructive and accessible general overview, 11 Sep 2005
A long and instructive journey through time and time measuring. The reader is taken from civilizations using the moon cycles to measure time to the first solar calendars, the successive way of naming of the months and days, the secularisation of the concept of "hour" leaving the monastic rhythm to correspond to a certain amount of time indicated on the first mechanical clocks, and more and more accurate mathematical concepts and instruments of measure, since the researches go on.

No need to be a clockmaker or good at mathematics, however: everything is said in plain English, with even a pinch of suspense that keeps pushing you towards the next page.

Since the story of the calendar is closely related to that of Western social structure, the balance between religious and secular powers, and our daily life and beliefs, it also informs us on our cultural history. We discover, for instance, the importance of the long debate about when exactly Easter should be celebrated at a time when the Christian Churches (Catholic and Orthodox, mainly) had great political powers. We also see how life in growing cities of merchants imposed agreements on the calendar that would allow deadlines to be fixed and respected, and actions to be taken against those who wouldn't meet them.

The book gives a succession of key-moments or smaller events, which remind us of the extreme relativity of something we tend to take for granted - the calendar.

It is written with a pleasant fluency by an author who clearly recognizes he isn't an expert in the field but obviously researched the subject with great care. Some points are maybe treated a bit too extensively, but let's take it for a side-effect of the author's enthusiam.

Fascinating, 22 Aug 2004
The Calendar is a masterful account of something we are all familiar with on a daily basis, and mostly just take for granted. The story of how the calendar took shape, from mankind's starting position of knowing nothing about the environment he lived in, up to modern times is fascinating, and spans many great civilisations and religions.

An excellent book that will turn you into a time-geek!, 12 Feb 2003
This is the best popular science book I have read, the subject matter is easily accessible and the story of the development of the calendar is well told. The writing is extremely engaging and does not revert to jargon. I read this book before the Millennium which possibly gave it more impact, but I still think it is an excellent story well narrated. This is the sort of book that will cause you to annoy everyone who comes into contact as you wisely tell them of the snippets of fascinating facts that this book contains. I have loaned this book to people who have read it and then bought their own copy so they can regale people with these facts. Personally this is THE "must buy" book of popular science

I you are looking for a fast compendium ..., 01 Dec 2001
...of the last history of the calendar: this is the one. It takes a good picture of how Religion and State affairs had influenced its development. Once you read this book you will have an almost complete idea on where to look next for more information on the subject. There are other books about calendars (or Calendrical Calculations) but they fail to gather all the tiny details and present them in a complete and consistent way.

2012 and the Galactic Center, 07 Nov 2008
Over the past few years, a lot of literature (both non-fiction and fictional) has appeared that touches upon the fact that in 2012 the Mayan calendar ends. The majority of people seem to support the "end of the world" scenario. The common perception is that once the calendar runs out so does our time on earth.

2012 and the Galactic Center provides a far more positive outlook. The author suggests that the end of the calendar merely represents the end of a cycle. Moreover, the end of this cycle makes way for a new much more positive cycle.

To prove her point, the author draws upon mythology, archetypes, and symbols from a variety of other ancient belief systems. Essentially, her message is simple: that each of us is responsible for fulfilling our own spiritual journey and that each of us that takes on the challenge adds strength to the whole. 2012 and the Galactic Center is very well written and extremely powerful.

Is Clow a government disinformation agent?, 12 May 2007
For some reason Barbara Clow does not want you to know the possibility that, most likely, a great catastrophe awaits us in our near future (on or about 2012) similar to the one that took place 11,500 years ago (9500 BC). On pages 64 and 65 of the 2007 `Mayan Code' book, Clow writes of this 11,500 year old disaster the following:

"The scientific evidence for the great cataclysm is covered extensively in my 2001 book `Catastrophobia', and in D.S. Allan and J.B Delair's 1997 book `Cataclysm! Compelling Evidence of a cosmic Catastrophe in 9500 B.C.' ... As for the cause of the cataclysm, they've found evidence that fragments from the Vela supernova came into the solar system and struck the Earth's magnetosphere. It is difficult to know for sure what CELESTIAL BODY caused the event, yet it happened."

However, 6 years earlier, on pages 194 and 195 of `Catastrophobia', Clow states a different cause of the same great catastrophe that occurred 11,500 years ago:

"Meanwhile, as the solar system goes around the galaxy, it moves above, through, and below the galactic plane approximately every 30 million years like a dolphin swimming through stars, molecular clouds, and other bodies. When the solar system moves through the GALACTIC PLANE, the chance of a cataclysmic encounters are much greater than usual. There WERE mass extinctions of species 94.5 million, 65 million, 29 million, and 11,500 years ago."

So which cause is it? A celestial body or the passage through galactic plane? To sum this up again, in the 2007 book `Mayan Code', Clow states it was a CELESTIAL BODY, but in 2001 in `Catastrophobia' she states it was the solar system going through the GALACTIC PLANE? Well we know from my amazon book review on the book `Catatrophobia' the cause of the 11,500 catastrophe can't be the passage through GALACTIC PLANE because we are going through the galactic plane right now, which implies another catastrophe in our near term future. This book review on "Catastrophobia' is as follows:

"Excellent Information despite flawed conclusion, January 3, 2004

I had a tough time rating this book as it has a flawed conclusion that changes the entire message of the book. The author of the Foreword is the main reason for this flawed conclusion of the great cataclysm occurring 11,500 years ago which is when he suggests we went through the galactic equator plane. This is patently FALSE as proved by the book "Galactic Alignment" by Jenkins, as we are going through the Galactic Equator Plane in the 2000-2012 time period NOW. I rated it three stars and considered giving it 4 stars cuz of the good information that can be gleaned from this book. It does establish that a catastrophe does happen every 30 million years like clockwork due to the earth going through the galactic equator plane 8 times in a galactic year of 240 million years. Yes this book is a keeper, even with the flawed conclusion that we have already had the great catastrophe 11,500 years ago when we are about to experience it in 2012."

Clow on page 65 of "Mayan Code" says of this 11,500 year old catastrophe the following:

"Comprehending the magnitude of this event is crucially important because it implies that the most violent Earth changes are in the past, and that Earth is now settling down into a more harmonic pattern. Realizing that the worst is over and that Earth is rebalancing, blunts the fear that the end of the Mayan Calendar means the destruction of our planet. ... Because we struggle so hard to avoid processing our own pain, we tend to project an event that already happened into the near future, such as people do when they say the world is coming to an end in 2012."

There is absolutely no logic in these statements whatsoever and to a lot of what she says in this book. These statements don't change the fact that our solar system is going through the galactic plane NOW, and going through the galactic plane implies a catastrophe is coming very soon, which is an empirical scientific fact proved by the Horizon Project.

Clow comes to the conclusion that everyone who thinks there will be a great catastrophe on or about 2012 are Judeo-Christian neocon Fundamentalists, "who are afflicted with potent and serious mental addiction to God, have reduced intelligence, often very aggressive, hostile, in denial, and who have profoundly retarded the progress of human evolution." She goes on to say on page 35 of the `Mayan Code' that the "Jehovah's Witnesses might try to corner the market on the Mayan Calendar end-date by setting up 2011 or 2012 as their next end-of-the-world date." I think it is important to point out Ms Clows obvious agenda of pro-governmental non-disclosure don't panic the public, of what will probably be in our near future on or about 2012. People who disagree with her on this point are numerous and do not fit her aforementioned description, like Patrick Geryl, Lawrence Joseph, Edward Arnold, Brent Miller, and the scientists at the Horizon Project [...] to name just a few. For the record, there is good information in this book such as the discussion of Calleman's hypothesis linking biological evolution with the Mayan Calendar is excellent, but it is overshadowed by this one aforementioned point. For more information on my non-fundamentalist viewpoint of 2012 see my listmania's and "So you'd like to" guides here on amazon. Please read as much as you can about this subject so you can come to your own conclusions.

[...]

An epic (history changing) story, well told, 13 Nov 2008
when I recieved this book I was disappointed by the lack of detailed photographs or illustrations of the Antikythera device. This is not so much a book about the device, but the story of its discovery and recognition.

The story is told as a series of biographies of the people who have helped to bring the device to light. I found the story increasingly compelling as each of the characters was brought to life. The story provides the rich context necessary for appreciating their contributions.

Discovery of the Antikythera device pushes "modern" technology right back into ancient history, as the sleve note says - "At heart an epic adventure story... ". (well told and true I would like to add).

I would recommend anyone to read this book, before looking for the photos, Xrays and illustrations to explain the Antikythera device. I think I may have learned a great deal about the device from this book, without noticing I was doing it. The story is so captivating the technicalities seem to be absorbed without effort.

It probably does help to have some understanding of astronomy and calendars to appreciate some of the technical stuff, but for me, the story could make a great film ! The book makes a great read.

The nature of time and space, explained, 25 Oct 2008
The nature of space and time is not a problem that puzzles
physicists, mathematicians and philosophers only. For historians,
time and space are two of the three most important categories we need
to consider in our analyses. This volume helps put the debate on time
and space into a wider context, making a cross disciplinary
discussion about the elements that are at the very heart of modern
science available to non experts whilst, at the same time, offering
cutting-edge research on the enigma of time and space. This book was
an eye-opener for me as I had no idea that so much on this topic was
still such a mystery even to physicists. There are chapters on dark
matter and energy, on quantum symmetry, on Penrose's pre- Big Bang
theory, on particle physics, and on philosophical and theological
implications of space and time. It is a book of different levels and
in my case the technical aspects were always going to be challenging,
but its nice to know that the arguments are there for readers who
want to work through them. The chapters covering philosophy and
theology would be a good place to start. This volume is a must-read
for those wishing to understand when did "time" begin, and where is
that thing which some call "space"? And it also looks really good on
my coffee table right next to The Brief History of Time and my
battered copy of The End of History.


Worth reading, 22 Nov 2007
One of the most logical and interesting books in the recent time! It has no scent of New Age channeling which is always so identical that it lost both its impact and meaning. And things are so logically explained that one may wonder how did it not occured to us earlier this way of rewriting history. I recommend this book to everyone who wants information and genuine thinking.

Great book - a must read!, 12 Sep 2007
Well written and researched and a classic of its genre. Not too sure about the dates as I tend to favour 2012 and Calleman brings it forward to 2011 - but whatever the detail the broad strategy is the same - we live in 'end' times and it's an honour to be here at this 'time'. Read it, grasp it and hopefully apply it.

Time and Power, 28 Jan 2008
A appealing fact-jammed book about something we use everyday - the calendar.
I never thought there were so many events and people involved in its story dating back to time immemorial. Facts at times amusing, others outright dramatic.
It's fascinating the interplay between time and who dictates it. Control over time and its deployment gives boundless power to the beholder that usually one can't even ponder.
Last one on the list is the Roman Catholic Church, who's reform on the calendar is the one we're still using today.
A reform that started, not for any scientific endeavour but for the down to earth task of celebrating Easter on the appropriate day!


Instructive and accessible general overview, 11 Sep 2005
A long and instructive journey through time and time measuring. The reader is taken from civilizations using the moon cycles to measure time to the first solar calendars, the successive way of naming of the months and days, the secularisation of the concept of "hour" leaving the monastic rhythm to correspond to a certain amount of time indicated on the first mechanical clocks, and more and more accurate mathematical concepts and instruments of measure, since the researches go on.

No need to be a clockmaker or good at mathematics, however: everything is said in plain English, with even a pinch of suspense that keeps pushing you towards the next page.

Since the story of the calendar is closely related to that of Western social structure, the balance between religious and secular powers, and our daily life and beliefs, it also informs us on our cultural history. We discover, for instance, the importance of the long debate about when exactly Easter should be celebrated at a time when the Christian Churches (Catholic and Orthodox, mainly) had great political powers. We also see how life in growing cities of merchants imposed agreements on the calendar that would allow deadlines to be fixed and respected, and actions to be taken against those who wouldn't meet them.

The book gives a succession of key-moments or smaller events, which remind us of the extreme relativity of something we tend to take for granted - the calendar.

It is written with a pleasant fluency by an author who clearly recognizes he isn't an expert in the field but obviously researched the subject with great care. Some points are maybe treated a bit too extensively, but let's take it for a side-effect of the author's enthusiam.

Fascinating, 22 Aug 2004
The Calendar is a masterful account of something we are all familiar with on a daily basis, and mostly just take for granted. The story of how the calendar took shape, from mankind's starting position of knowing nothing about the environment he lived in, up to modern times is fascinating, and spans many great civilisations and religions.

An excellent book that will turn you into a time-geek!, 12 Feb 2003
This is the best popular science book I have read, the subject matter is easily accessible and the story of the development of the calendar is well told. The writing is extremely engaging and does not revert to jargon. I read this book before the Millennium which possibly gave it more impact, but I still think it is an excellent story well narrated. This is the sort of book that will cause you to annoy everyone who comes into contact as you wisely tell them of the snippets of fascinating facts that this book contains. I have loaned this book to people who have read it and then bought their own copy so they can regale people with these facts. Personally this is THE "must buy" book of popular science

I you are looking for a fast compendium ..., 01 Dec 2001
...of the last history of the calendar: this is the one. It takes a good picture of how Religion and State affairs had influenced its development. Once you read this book you will have an almost complete idea on where to look next for more information on the subject. There are other books about calendars (or Calendrical Calculations) but they fail to gather all the tiny details and present them in a complete and consistent way.

2012 and the Galactic Center, 07 Nov 2008
Over the past few years, a lot of literature (both non-fiction and fictional) has appeared that touches upon the fact that in 2012 the Mayan calendar ends. The majority of people seem to support the "end of the world" scenario. The common perception is that once the calendar runs out so does our time on earth.

2012 and the Galactic Center provides a far more positive outlook. The author suggests that the end of the calendar merely represents the end of a cycle. Moreover, the end of this cycle makes way for a new much more positive cycle.

To prove her point, the author draws upon mythology, archetypes, and symbols from a variety of other ancient belief systems. Essentially, her message is simple: that each of us is responsible for fulfilling our own spiritual journey and that each of us that takes on the challenge adds strength to the whole. 2012 and the Galactic Center is very well written and extremely powerful.

Is Clow a government disinformation agent?, 12 May 2007
For some reason Barbara Clow does not want you to know the possibility that, most likely, a great catastrophe awaits us in our near future (on or about 2012) similar to the one that took place 11,500 years ago (9500 BC). On pages 64 and 65 of the 2007 `Mayan Code' book, Clow writes of this 11,500 year old disaster the following:

"The scientific evidence for the great cataclysm is covered extensively in my 2001 book `Catastrophobia', and in D.S. Allan and J.B Delair's 1997 book `Cataclysm! Compelling Evidence of a cosmic Catastrophe in 9500 B.C.' ... As for the cause of the cataclysm, they've found evidence that fragments from the Vela supernova came into the solar system and struck the Earth's magnetosphere. It is difficult to know for sure what CELESTIAL BODY caused the event, yet it happened."

However, 6 years earlier, on pages 194 and 195 of `Catastrophobia', Clow states a different cause of the same great catastrophe that occurred 11,500 years ago:

"Meanwhile, as the solar system goes around the galaxy, it moves above, through, and below the galactic plane approximately every 30 million years like a dolphin swimming through stars, molecular clouds, and other bodies. When the solar system moves through the GALACTIC PLANE, the chance of a cataclysmic encounters are much greater than usual. There WERE mass extinctions of species 94.5 million, 65 million, 29 million, and 11,500 years ago."

So which cause is it? A celestial body or the passage through galactic plane? To sum this up again, in the 2007 book `Mayan Code', Clow states it was a CELESTIAL BODY, but in 2001 in `Catastrophobia' she states it was the solar system going through the GALACTIC PLANE? Well we know from my amazon book review on the book `Catatrophobia' the cause of the 11,500 catastrophe can't be the passage through GALACTIC PLANE because we are going through the galactic plane right now, which implies another catastrophe in our near term future. This book review on "Catastrophobia' is as follows:

"Excellent Information despite flawed conclusion, January 3, 2004

I had a tough time rating this book as it has a flawed conclusion that changes the entire message of the book. The author of the Foreword is the main reason for this flawed conclusion of the great cataclysm occurring 11,500 years ago which is when he suggests we went through the galactic equator plane. This is patently FALSE as proved by the book "Galactic Alignment" by Jenkins, as we are going through the Galactic Equator Plane in the 2000-2012 time period NOW. I rated it three stars and considered giving it 4 stars cuz of the good information that can be gleaned from this book. It does establish that a catastrophe does happen every 30 million years like clockwork due to the earth going through the galactic equator plane 8 times in a galactic year of 240 million years. Yes this book is a keeper, even with the flawed conclusion that we have already had the great catastrophe 11,500 years ago when we are about to experience it in 2012."

Clow on page 65 of "Mayan Code" says of this 11,500 year old catastrophe the following:

"Comprehending the magnitude of this event is crucially important because it implies that the most violent Earth changes are in the past, and that Earth is now settling down into a more harmonic pattern. Realizing that the worst is over and that Earth is rebalancing, blunts the fear that the end of the Mayan Calendar means the destruction of our planet. ... Because we struggle so hard to avoid processing our own pain, we tend to project an event that already happened into the near future, such as people do when they say the world is coming to an end in 2012."

There is absolutely no logic in these statements whatsoever and to a lot of what she says in this book. These statements don't change the fact that our solar system is going through the galactic plane NOW, and going through the galactic plane implies a catastrophe is coming very soon, which is an empirical scientific fact proved by the Horizon Project.

Clow comes to the conclusion that everyone who thinks there will be a great catastrophe on or about 2012 are Judeo-Christian neocon Fundamentalists, "who are afflicted with potent and serious mental addiction to God, have reduced intelligence, often very aggressive, hostile, in denial, and who have profoundly retarded the progress of human evolution." She goes on to say on page 35 of the `Mayan Code' that the "Jehovah's Witnesses might try to corner the market on the Mayan Calendar end-date by setting up 2011 or 2012 as their next end-of-the-world date." I think it is important to point out Ms Clows obvious agenda of pro-governmental non-disclosure don't panic the public, of what will probably be in our near future on or about 2012. People who disagree with her on this point are numerous and do not fit her aforementioned description, like Patrick Geryl, Lawrence Joseph, Edward Arnold, Brent Miller, and the scientists at the Horizon Project [...] to name just a few. For the record, there is good information in this book such as the discussion of Calleman's hypothesis linking biological evolution with the Mayan Calendar is excellent, but it is overshadowed by this one aforementioned point. For more information on my non-fundamentalist viewpoint of 2012 see my listmania's and "So you'd like to" guides here on amazon. Please read as much as you can about this subject so you can come to your own conclusions.

[...]

Quite a disappointment, 01 Nov 2008
I find myself agreeing almost 100% with hwade17. His analysis is detailed and excellent. For all the reasons he gives I found it quite a disappointment. So much so, I wish now I hadn't bought it. The first third of the book is fine, lucid, fascinating and well worth the read. The rest comes across as padding, as hwade17 implies. It isn't even testable, although Barrow tries to persuade us that it just might be. So it's pure speculation. If it weren't for the extensive bibliography, I would give it only 2 stars. As it is, I'll stretch a point and give it 3.

Best Barrow I have read, 30 May 2008
I have read already several books from John D Barrow (Theories of Everything, Book of Nothing, Pi in the Sky), and I found some of them a bit vague and with some irrelevant chapters. To me, this one is the best one from Barrow I have read. The topic could have been discussed even more in depth, but overall, the book kept me turning pages from the beginningto end, and I have not read many better written popular science books. Even though there were some, therefore I give 4 of 5 :-))

Has its limits, 01 Feb 2006
"Well," I said to myself, as I picked up The Infinite Book for a bargain, finite sum of money, "this ought to last a while".

There are a number of playful paradoxes on the theme of "infinite" books, and indeed Barrow mentions one of them in a chapter of his own "Infinite Book", a short story by Borges, in which a man finds a book with an infinite number of pages, which means that absolutely all knowledge, both true and false, is contained within it ... the answer to everything is always there, somewhere, but once you've lost your page the chances of ever finding it again are mathematically nil. However, this "Infinite Book" reminded me of a different sort of imaginary "infinite book" - a mathematical paradox, in which every successive page of a book is half the thickness of the previous one, so when you flip the book over to look at the last page, the last page doesn't exist.

Just like this latter "infinite book", it seemed to me that the content of "The Infinite Book" started out in the early pages as challenging, hefty, engaging - and then starts to become more flimsy and insubstantial as it goes on. It's as if the author started out with a terrific idea for a book (and the early chapters, about Cantor's infinities and the heresy of infinity, make for engrossing reading) but then ran out of ideas and had to pad it out to book length with in some places, frankly daft chapters about Infinite Machines and Living Forever. Increasingly the reader is asked to accept statements that challenge not only one's intuition but also the foregoing text, unless of course the current theory is truly so esoteric that it doesn't make sense to the ordinary brain. For instance, computers, we are told, have doubled in power every couple of years or so on average since about 1900 "which has led some people to speculate that eventually there may be machines capable of performing an infinite number of calculations." Oh, right, okay, says the reader, and when's that going to happen? No answer is given us here. Elsewhere in his book, Barrow tells us that the existence of an infinite number of universes, apparently, "implies" that everything exists and is infinitely repeated. It's hard to see why, though, since we have already been introduced to the idea that the number "1" for instance, is never, ever, repeated again in the infinitely long series of whole numbers. Perhaps universes are counted as a different order of infinity. But it isn't clear. Another thing which slightly jarred was that, even though the existence of Infinity is still (the author tells us) a matter of philosophical speculation among mathematicians, the philosophy in this book seems to be pitched at a considerably lower level than the science ("endless" confused with "timeless" seemed to me like a bit of failed expository legerdemain). This is annoying, because presumably a book called "The Infinite Book" will be read by people with an interest in both camps.

Nonetheless Barrow writes well, and has also provided a very comprehensive bibliography for anyone wanting to read further about a fascinating subject, but despite its title, in the end this is a book that whets the appetite, rather than trying to cover the entire field of his subject - which would admittedly be a daunting undertaking!



An easy read on a hard subject, 18 Jan 2006
A very well written book which makes a hard subject deceptively easy. Very light on equations and the "frightening" bits of mathematics, very strong on well written explanations of why infinity isn't a number, and all that flows from that.

The quote on the cover says "popular science doesn't come much better than this", and for once I agree.

An epic (history changing) story, well told, 13 Nov 2008
when I recieved this book I was disappointed by the lack of detailed photographs or illustrations of the Antikythera device. This is not so much a book about the device, but the story of its discovery and recognition.

The story is told as a series of biographies of the people who have helped to bring the device to light. I found the story increasingly compelling as each of the characters was brought to life. The story provides the rich context necessary for appreciating their contributions.

Discovery of the Antikythera device pushes "modern" technology right back into ancient history, as the sleve note says - "At heart an epic adventure story... ". (well told and true I would like to add).

I would recommend anyone to read this book, before looking for the photos, Xrays and illustrations to explain the Antikythera device. I think I may have learned a great deal about the device from this book, without noticing I was doing it. The story is so captivating the technicalities seem to be absorbed without effort.

It probably does help to have some understanding of astronomy and calendars to appreciate some of the technical stuff, but for me, the story could make a great film ! The book makes a great read.

The nature of time and space, explained, 25 Oct 2008
The nature of space and time is not a problem that puzzles
physicists, mathematicians and philosophers only. For historians,
time and space are two of the three most important categories we need
to consider in our analyses. This volume helps put the debate on time
and space into a wider context, making a cross disciplinary
discussion about the elements that are at the very heart of modern
science available to non experts whilst, at the same time, offering
cutting-edge research on the enigma of time and space. This book was
an eye-opener for me as I had no idea that so much on this topic was
still such a mystery even to physicists. There are chapters on dark
matter and energy, on quantum symmetry, on Penrose's pre- Big Bang
theory, on particle physics, and on philosophical and theological
implications of space and time. It is a book of different levels and
in my case the technical aspects were always going to be challenging,
but its nice to know that the arguments are there for readers who
want to work through them. The chapters covering philosophy and
theology would be a good place to start. This volume is a must-read
for those wishing to understand when did "time" begin, and where is
that thing which some call "space"? And it also looks really good on
my coffee table right next to The Brief History of Time and my
battered copy of The End of History.


Worth reading, 22 Nov 2007
One of the most logical and interesting books in the recent time! It has no scent of New Age channeling which is always so identical that it lost both its impact and meaning. And things are so logically explained that one may wonder how did it not occured to us earlier this way of rewriting history. I recommend this book to everyone who wants information and genuine thinking.

Great book - a must read!, 12 Sep 2007
Well written and researched and a classic of its genre. Not too sure about the dates as I tend to favour 2012 and Calleman brings it forward to 2011 - but whatever the detail the broad strategy is the same - we live in 'end' times and it's an honour to be here at this 'time'. Read it, grasp it and hopefully apply it.

Time and Power, 28 Jan 2008
A appealing fact-jammed book about something we use everyday - the calendar.
I never thought there were so many events and people involved in its story dating back to time immemorial. Facts at times amusing, others outright dramatic.
It's fascinating the interplay between time and who dictates it. Control over time and its deployment gives boundless power to the beholder that usually one can't even ponder.
Last one on the list is the Roman Catholic Church, who's reform on the calendar is the one we're still using today.
A reform that started, not for any scientific endeavour but for the down to earth task of celebrating Easter on the appropriate day!


Instructive and accessible general overview, 11 Sep 2005
A long and instructive journey through time and time measuring. The reader is taken from civilizations using the moon cycles to measure time to the first solar calendars, the successive way of naming of the months and days, the secularisation of the concept of "hour" leaving the monastic rhythm to correspond to a certain amount of time indicated on the first mechanical clocks, and more and more accurate mathematical concepts and instruments of measure, since the researches go on.

No need to be a clockmaker or good at mathematics, however: everything is said in plain English, with even a pinch of suspense that keeps pushing you towards the next page.

Since the story of the calendar is closely related to that of Western social structure, the balance between religious and secular powers, and our daily life and beliefs, it also informs us on our cultural history. We discover, for instance, the importance of the long debate about when exactly Easter should be celebrated at a time when the Christian Churches (Catholic and Orthodox, mainly) had great political powers. We also see how life in growing cities of merchants imposed agreements on the calendar that would allow deadlines to be fixed and respected, and actions to be taken against those who wouldn't meet them.

The book gives a succession of key-moments or smaller events, which remind us of the extreme relativity of something we tend to take for granted - the calendar.

It is written with a pleasant fluency by an author who clearly recognizes he isn't an expert in the field but obviously researched the subject with great care. Some points are maybe treated a bit too extensively, but let's take it for a side-effect of the author's enthusiam.

Fascinating, 22 Aug 2004
The Calendar is a masterful account of something we are all familiar with on a daily basis, and mostly just take for granted. The story of how the calendar took shape, from mankind's starting position of knowing nothing about the environment he lived in, up to modern times is fascinating, and spans many great civilisations and religions.

An excellent book that will turn you into a time-geek!, 12 Feb 2003
This is the best popular science book I have read, the subject matter is easily accessible and the story of the development of the calendar is well told. The writing is extremely engaging and does not revert to jargon. I read this book before the Millennium which possibly gave it more impact, but I still think it is an excellent story well narrated. This is the sort of book that will cause you to annoy everyone who comes into contact as you wisely tell them of the snippets of fascinating facts that this book contains. I have loaned this book to people who have read it and then bought their own copy so they can regale people with these facts. Personally this is THE "must buy" book of popular science

I you are looking for a fast compendium ..., 01 Dec 2001
...of the last history of the calendar: this is the one. It takes a good picture of how Religion and State affairs had influenced its development. Once you read this book you will have an almost complete idea on where to look next for more information on the subject. There are other books about calendars (or Calendrical Calculations) but they fail to gather all the tiny details and present them in a complete and consistent way.

2012 and the Galactic Center, 07 Nov 2008
Over the past few years, a lot of literature (both non-fiction and fictional) has appeared that touches upon the fact that in 2012 the Mayan calendar ends. The majority of people seem to support the "end of the world" scenario. The common perception is that once the calendar runs out so does our time on earth.

2012 and the Galactic Center provides a far more positive outlook. The author suggests that the end of the calendar merely represents the end of a cycle. Moreover, the end of this cycle makes way for a new much more positive cycle.

To prove her point, the author draws upon mythology, archetypes, and symbols from a variety of other ancient belief systems. Essentially, her message is simple: that each of us is responsible for fulfilling our own spiritual journey and that each of us that takes on the challenge adds strength to the whole. 2012 and the Galactic Center is very well written and extremely powerful.

Is Clow a government disinformation agent?, 12 May 2007
For some reason Barbara Clow does not want you to know the possibility that, most likely, a great catastrophe awaits us in our near future (on or about 2012) similar to the one that took place 11,500 years ago (9500 BC). On pages 64 and 65 of the 2007 `Mayan Code' book, Clow writes of this 11,500 year old disaster the following:

"The scientific evidence for the great cataclysm is covered extensively in my 2001 book `Catastrophobia', and in D.S. Allan and J.B Delair's 1997 book `Cataclysm! Compelling Evidence of a cosmic Catastrophe in 9500 B.C.' ... As for the cause of the cataclysm, they've found evidence that fragments from the Vela supernova came into the solar system and struck the Earth's magnetosphere. It is difficult to know for sure what CELESTIAL BODY caused the event, yet it happened."

However, 6 years earlier, on pages 194 and 195 of `Catastrophobia', Clow states a different cause of the same great catastrophe that occurred 11,500 years ago:

"Meanwhile, as the solar system goes around the galaxy, it moves above, through, and below the galactic plane approximately every 30 million years like a dolphin swimming through stars, molecular clouds, and other bodies. When the solar system moves through the GALACTIC PLANE, the chance of a cataclysmic encounters are much greater than usual. There WERE mass extinctions of species 94.5 million, 65 million, 29 million, and 11,500 years ago."

So which cause is it? A celestial body or the passage through galactic plane? To sum this up again, in the 2007 book `Mayan Code', Clow states it was a CELESTIAL BODY, but in 2001 in `Catastrophobia' she states it was the solar system going through the GALACTIC PLANE? Well we know from my amazon book review on the book `Catatrophobia' the cause of the 11,500 catastrophe can't be the passage through GALACTIC PLANE because we are going through the galactic plane right now, which implies another catastrophe in our near term future. This book review on "Catastrophobia' is as follows:

"Excellent Information despite flawed conclusion, January 3, 2004

I had a tough time rating this book as it has a flawed conclusion that changes the entire message of the book. The author of the Foreword is the main reason for this flawed conclusion of the great cataclysm occurring 11,500 years ago which is when he suggests we went through the galactic equator plane. This is patently FALSE as proved by the book "Galactic Alignment" by Jenkins, as we are going through the Galactic Equator Plane in the 2000-2012 time period NOW. I rated it three stars and considered giving it 4 stars cuz of the good information that can be gleaned from this book. It does establish that a catastrophe does happen every 30 million years like clockwork due to the earth going through the galactic equator plane 8 times in a galactic year of 240 million years. Yes this book is a keeper, even with the flawed conclusion that we have already had the great catastrophe 11,500 years ago when we are about to experience it in 2012."

Clow on page 65 of "Mayan Code" says of this 11,500 year old catastrophe the following:

"Comprehending the magnitude of this event is crucially important because it implies that the most violent Earth changes are in the past, and that Earth is now settling down into a more harmonic pattern. Realizing that the worst is over and that Earth is rebalancing, blunts the fear that the end of the Mayan Calendar means the destruction of our planet. ... Because we struggle so hard to avoid processing our own pain, we tend to project an event that already happened into the near future, such as people do when they say the world is coming to an end in 2012."

There is absolutely no logic in these statements whatsoever and to a lot of what she says in this book. These statements don't change the fact that our solar system is going through the galactic plane NOW, and going through the galactic plane implies a catastrophe is coming very soon, which is an empirical scientific fact proved by the Horizon Project.

Clow comes to the conclusion that everyone who thinks there will be a great catastrophe on or about 2012 are Judeo-Christian neocon Fundamentalists, "who are afflicted with potent and serious mental addiction to God, have reduced intelligence, often very aggressive, hostile, in denial, and who have profoundly retarded the progress of human evolution." She goes on to say on page 35 of the `Mayan Code' that the "Jehovah's Witnesses might try to corner the market on the Mayan Calendar end-date by setting up 2011 or 2012 as their next end-of-the-world date." I think it is important to point out Ms Clows obvious agenda of pro-governmental non-disclosure don't panic the public, of what will probably be in our near future on or about 2012. People who disagree with her on this point are numerous and do not fit her aforementioned description, like Patrick Geryl, Lawrence Joseph, Edward Arnold, Brent Miller, and the scientists at the Horizon Project [...] to name just a few. For the record, there is good information in this book such as the discussion of Calleman's hypothesis linking biological evolution with the Mayan Calendar is excellent, but it is overshadowed by this one aforementioned point. For more information on my non-fundamentalist viewpoint of 2012 see my listmania's and "So you'd like to" guides here on amazon. Please read as much as you can about this subject so you can come to your own conclusions.

[...]

Quite a disappointment, 01 Nov 2008
I find myself agreeing almost 100% with hwade17. His analysis is detailed and excellent. For all the reasons he gives I found it quite a disappointment. So much so, I wish now I hadn't bought it. The first third of the book is fine, lucid, fascinating and well worth the read. The rest comes across as padding, as hwade17 implies. It isn't even testable, although Barrow tries to persuade us that it just might be. So it's pure speculation. If it weren't for the extensive bibliography, I would give it only 2 stars. As it is, I'll stretch a point and give it 3.

Best Barrow I have read, 30 May 2008
I have read already several books from John D Barrow (Theories of Everything, Book of Nothing, Pi in the Sky), and I found some of them a bit vague and with some irrelevant chapters. To me, this one is the best one from Barrow I have read. The topic could have been discussed even more in depth, but overall, the book kept me turning pages from the beginningto end, and I have not read many better written popular science books. Even though there were some, therefore I give 4 of 5 :-))

Has its limits, 01 Feb 2006
"Well," I said to myself, as I picked up The Infinite Book for a bargain, finite sum of money, "this ought to last a while".

There are a number of playful paradoxes on the theme of "infinite" books, and indeed Barrow mentions one of them in a chapter of his own "Infinite Book", a short story by Borges, in which a man finds a book with an infinite number of pages, which means that absolutely all knowledge, both true and false, is contained within it ... the answer to everything is always there, somewhere, but once you've lost your page the chances of ever finding it again are mathematically nil. However, this "Infinite Book" reminded me of a different sort of imaginary "infinite book" - a mathematical paradox, in which every successive page of a book is half the thickness of the previous one, so when you flip the book over to look at the last page, the last page doesn't exist.

Just like this latter "infinite book", it seemed to me that the content of "The Infinite Book" started out in the early pages as challenging, hefty, engaging - and then starts to become more flimsy and insubstantial as it goes on. It's as if the author started out with a terrific idea for a book (and the early chapters, about Cantor's infinities and the heresy of infinity, make for engrossing reading) but then ran out of ideas and had to pad it out to book length with in some places, frankly daft chapters about Infinite Machines and Living Forever. Increasingly the reader is asked to accept statements that challenge not only one's intuition but also the foregoing text, unless of course the current theory is truly so esoteric that it doesn't make sense to the ordinary brain. For instance, computers, we are told, have doubled in power every couple of years or so on average since about 1900 "which has led some people to speculate that eventually there may be machines capable of performing an infinite number of calculations." Oh, right, okay, says the reader, and when's that going to happen? No answer is given us here. Elsewhere in his book, Barrow tells us that the existence of an infinite number of universes, apparently, "implies" that everything exists and is infinitely repeated. It's hard to see why, though, since we have already been introduced to the idea that the number "1" for instance, is never, ever, repeated again in the infinitely long series of whole numbers. Perhaps universes are counted as a different order of infinity. But it isn't clear. Another thing which slightly jarred was that, even though the existence of Infinity is still (the author tells us) a matter of philosophical speculation among mathematicians, the philosophy in this book seems to be pitched at a considerably lower level than the science ("endless" confused with "timeless" seemed to me like a bit of failed expository legerdemain). This is annoying, because presumably a book called "The Infinite Book" will be read by people with an interest in both camps.

Nonetheless Barrow writes well, and has also provided a very comprehensive bibliography for anyone wanting to read further about a fascinating subject, but despite its title, in the end this is a book that whets the appetite, rather than trying to cover the entire field of his subject - which would admittedly be a daunting undertaking!



An easy read on a hard subject, 18 Jan 2006
A very well written book which makes a hard subject deceptively easy. Very light on equations and the "frightening" bits of mathematics, very strong on well written explanations of why infinity isn't a number, and all that flows from that.

The quote on the cover says "popular science doesn't come much better than this", and for once I agree.

Essential reading for philosophers, 07 May 2001
This is now undoubtedly the best introductory collection of papers on the philosophy of time, from McTaggart, Priori, Mellor, Shoemaker, Dummett, Newton-Smith, Quinton, and others.

If you want to know what time is, go for it! (But don't expect to find the answer.)

An epic (history changing) story, well told, 13 Nov 2008
when I recieved this book I was disappointed by the lack of detailed photographs or illustrations of the Antikythera device. This is not so much a book about the device, but the story of its discovery and recognition.

The story is told as a series of biographies of the people who have helped to bring the device to light. I found the story increasingly compelling as each of the characters was brought to life. The story provides the rich context necessary for appreciating their contributions.

Discovery of the Antikythera device pushes "modern" technology right back into ancient history, as the sleve note says - "At heart an epic adventure story... ". (well told and true I would like to add).

I would recommend anyone to read this book, before looking for the photos, Xrays and illustrations to explain the Antikythera device. I think I may have learned a great deal about the device from this book, without noticing I was doing it. The story is so captivating the technicalities seem to be absorbed without effort.

It probably does help to have some understanding of astronomy and calendars to appreciate some of the technical stuff, but for me, the story could make a great film ! The book makes a great read.

The nature of time and space, explained, 25 Oct 2008
The nature of space and time is not a problem that puzzles
physicists, mathematicians and philosophers only. For historians,
time and space are two of the three most important categories we need
to consider in our analyses. This volume helps put the debate on time
and space into a wider context, making a cross disciplinary
discussion about the elements that are at the very heart of modern
science available to non experts whilst, at the same time, offering
cutting-edge research on the enigma of time and space. This book was
an eye-opener for me as I had no idea that so much on this topic was
still such a mystery even to physicists. There are chapters on dark
matter and energy, on quantum symmetry, on Penrose's pre- Big Bang
theory, on particle physics, and on philosophical and theological
implications of space and time. It is a book of different levels and
in my case the technical aspects were always going to be challenging,
but its nice to know that the arguments are there for readers who
want to work through them. The chapters covering philosophy and
theology would be a good place to start. This volume is a must-read
for those wishing to understand when did "time" begin, and where is
that thing which some call "space"? And it also looks really good on
my coffee table right next to The Brief History of Time and my
battered copy of The End of History.


Worth reading, 22 Nov 2007
One of the most logical and interesting books in the recent time! It has no scent of New Age channeling which is always so identical that it lost both its impact and meaning. And things are so logically explained that one may wonder how did it not occured to us earlier this way of rewriting history. I recommend this book to everyone who wants information and genuine thinking.

Great book - a must read!, 12 Sep 2007
Well written and researched and a classic of its genre. Not too sure about the dates as I tend to favour 2012 and Calleman brings it forward to 2011 - but whatever the detail the broad strategy is the same - we live in 'end' times and it's an honour to be here at this 'time'. Read it, grasp it and hopefully apply it.

Time and Power, 28 Jan 2008
A appealing fact-jammed book about something we use everyday - the calendar.
I never thought there were so many events and people involved in its story dating back to time immemorial. Facts at times amusing, others outright dramatic.
It's fascinating the interplay between time and who dictates it. Control over time and its deployment gives boundless power to the beholder that usually one can't even ponder.
Last one on the list is the Roman Catholic Church, who's reform on the calendar is the one we're still using today.
A reform that started, not for any scientific endeavour but for the down to earth task of celebrating Easter on the appropriate day!


Instructive and accessible general overview, 11 Sep 2005
A long and instructive journey through time and time measuring. The reader is taken from civilizations using the moon cycles to measure time to the first solar calendars, the successive way of naming of t