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Before Columbus: The Americas Of 1491 (2009)

by Charles C. Mann(Favorite Author)

3.93 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1416949003 (ISBN13: 9781416949008)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

review 1: A palatable "lite" version of Mann's 500 pg. tome. Interesting discussion of Native American life prior to the pilgrims, and how they actually managed their resources (was it really a wilderness before we arrived? Actually, no--the most interesting chapter in the book), and how old the civilizations in the Americas actually were. Seems oversimplified in some areas but this is an important book. Our history curricula will need to catch up.
review 2: Did the natives of America actually have cities and technologies long before Europeans set out to find the “New World?” How long had they inhabited their lands? How did so few Europeans overcome the native population so easily? These questions are answered in Mann’s informative nonfiction work, told from the... more native’s side of history. The author delves into the lives of the first inhabitants of the Americas, focusing on their unique technological and innovative skills. The resulting pages paint a picture of a people that were “civilized” long before their future European oppressors came to their shores and show how genetics and disease led to the native’s demise. Appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students, Before Columbus is sure to entertain those interested in native history and is extremely useful for the researching student. less

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