Lost Cities Books

The book, Allan Quartermain appears to be the last of a series of books penned by H. Rider Haggard about the exploits of a fictitious Englishman and African big-game hunter. In it, the leading man, Allan, is a bit more philosophical about life and his place on earth, and we follow his last great adventure in deepest, darkest Africa before he passes on, fully satisfied with his life and accomplishments, to the final Beyond.

Once again, Quartermain teams up with his good friends, Captain Good and Sir Henry Curtis, this time around to find a fabled lost race of people(whom Quartermain later suspects as being a lost tribe of Persians when he finally finds them). Once in Africa, the intrepid English trio re-unite with the Mighty Umslopogaas, a bloodthirsty Zulu warrior and loyal friend and servant who also happens to have a heart of gold. Then, the Fabulous Four sally forth, and take on in short order a tribe of savage Masai, save a proper English damsel (of course very much in distress), undertake a perilous journey to an uncharted region of Africa, and inadvertently begin (and bloodily end) a civil war amongst the lost tribe they have sought.

Without a doubt, the best character in this book is Mighty Umslopogaas and his trusty axe, Inkosi-kaas. Quartermain also puts in a good showing, especially as the old sage entangled in palace intrigues charged with amorous feelings and their attendant, homicidal jealousies.

The first third of the book reads quickly, and is packed with action, while the second third gets bogged down in descriptive detail of the lost tribe- its people, customs and the land it occupies. The final third works the reader up to a rousing finish, and we see Mighty Umslopogaas bearing deadly Inkosi-kaas with skill and valor. England nor America could never hope to produce and officer and a gentleman as fine a soldier (and a man) as The Mighty Umslopogaas, who singlehandedly saves the Queen of the Lost Tribe and her kingdom to boot.

In this final outing, Quartermain's age and dering-do finally catch up with him, but he has just enough mettle left in him to save his old friend Captain Good from the greedy paws of the Grim Reaper. And yet, though he lived loudly, Quatermain manages to exit the Stage of Life quietly with his friends Good and Curtis at his side, and by story's end, Good resurrects his sea legs among the Lost Tribe and Sir Henry manages to snare the Queen's heart and hand in marriage. All in all, the reader doesn't feel bad about the ending, and comes away thinking that all worked out as it should have.

High adventure never gets better than this. Haggard wrote at a time when expansionism and imperialism were all the rage, and even then, his book were viewed as sensationalist. Now we know better, or at least we should, but back then, Haggard still managed to give Africa and her people, via The Mighty Umslopogaas, a small slice of dignity that many during his time were reticent to the point of belligerence to give. Haggard's Umslopogaas takes his rightful place in literary history alongside many noble, yet magnificient and exotic savages much like his contemporary, Robert B. Parker's Hawk of the Spenser mysteries, does today.

In sum, this book and the others preceding it, make for good escapist fun, and writers today are hard-pressed to top, let alone equal, these classic masterpieces.

I am a serious Haggard fan. Of his 50+ novels I own all but 12, including many first editions. Of the ones I do not own, I have read all but two. Sir Henry Rider Haggard wrote Allan Quartermain in 1887 following his successful King Solomon's Mines in 1885, and She in 1886. No one ever heard of Alan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold until that ridiculous Richard Chamberlain movie was released. I personally will not support a publisher that takes liberties with titles of classic lost world fiction, and suggest that if you wish to read Alan Quartermain, check out some of the reputable used book sites.

Hi, I bought this book as I had not come across the title before in any Haggard listing. On receipt I found that it is really "Allan Quatermain" and the "new" title is presumably based on the film which starred Richard Chamberlain (which I have not seen).

The decription on the back cover of the book states "Allan must postpone his wedding to rescue his brother, who has been tracking a lost white tribe. Allan's travels take him through dangerous jungles and to a mythical city where the streets are paved with gold". I believe some liberties have been taken with this book but as a curio I suppose it might be worth the price.

regards

Paul Webb

In the introduction of this book, Sir Henry Rider Haggard illustrates the differences, or rather the similarities, of the well-to-do "civilised" lady and the "savage" African. It is the recurring theme throughout the book and one which grates with today's reader. This novel is more like an early "equality of man" essay rather than the ripping yarn of "King Solomon's Mines".

I do not know if the author was being radical at the time, or whether he was on some form of race agenda, but it sits ill with the modern mind and it sits ill in this story. There are glaring inconsistencies such as the treatment of the "savage" Masai after the battle and the fact the that the race he finds in the middle of Africa is "white" and "civilised". If he is trying to make the issue of the African also being able to be civilised, why are the civilised Africans not black?

The story, however, is a reasonable read, and although occassionally plodding, the plot can be exciting. Of particular note, the tunnel scene and the final battle at Milosis are thrilling. Of rather less interest are the love lives of Curtis and Good, but these do not irritate as much as the race issue.

I may be expecting too much from a text over 100 years old, but the issue of race was largely ignored in "King Solomon's Mine", and the book is much better for it. "Allan Quartermain" ceases to be a harmless story of adventure, and instead becomes a rather contrived statement of the author's ideals.

..."Allan Quatermain" is another adventure story of the character of the same name. After the King Solomon's mines, Quatermain is back in England, where his son dies, and he's eager for new adventures. With his two best friends, Good and Curtis, they depart again to the heart of Africa, where they expect to discover a nation of white people undiscovered until now.

This story, while a classic Haggard tale, has not all the good elements "King Solomon's mines" had. There is fighting, there's thrilling, but this book is somewhat slower. This might be because Allan Quatermain, telling the story in his point of view, is older, close to sixty-five years. In fact, there are some really anoying parts, where Quatermain is extra-shy and puritan, almost to the point of being ridiculous. And, as another reviewer wrote, there's no point in writing about a white race, civilized, organized and secret, in the heart of Africa, instead of a more plausible black one. This can only be excused in historical contexts. Back in the late XIX century, Africa was such a type of novelty and unknown that people thought almost everything could happen in there. But, today, if the reader doesn't have an open mind and doesn't know his History, this can be interpreted as pure racism, which is not. Haggard wrote this book in a time where the biggest thing about Africa was Livingstone trying to find where the Nile came from.

So this is how this book should be taken. A classic adventure.

Grade 7.6/10

Misty water colored memories for an America that never existed by an entirely forgettable writer.

For a book I started out relishing in, by the end I was most thoroughly disallusioned and thought Ehrenhalt had, perversely, disproved most of his own conclusions. And he leaves out so much. His sense of 1957 seems to come from advertising, which is an always distorted picture of real life. He never mentions the emergence of Elvis Presley or Hugh Heffner as the earthquakes to our culture and mores that they were. Life seems a lot like it was in "Babbitt", and at the end, the author does compare 1957 to the 20s. But an early statement is devastatingly accurate: "The difference between the 1950s and the 1990s is to a large extent the difference between a society in which market forces challenged traditional values and a society in which they have triumphed over them."

It is not often one encounters a scholarly work that is difficult to put down, but The Lost City is just that. I found this book to be immensely readable. Ehrenhalt's writing style is fluid and intriguing. By zeroing in on the individuals and communities that were archetypes of social conditions in the 1950s, the author is able to ground his argument solidly, while weaving an interesting dialogue of people and community.
If you have ever wondered about the "Fabulous Fifties" and what its communities were like, this is the book for you. Those longing for the security and morals of that decade may well be surprised by what was necessary of its citizens. The Lost City is a great read, and belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in society, community, and change.

This is a wonderful book which stayed with me for days after reading it. The author essentially boils down the cultural differences between pre and post 1960s America to the rise of personal freedom along with its inherent companion, the demise of societal authority. He does so with a mixture of anecdote and fact, ignoring the mainstream stereotypical view of that era, making for an easy and engaging read.

Whether you view that time through the prism of the establishment, the dispossessed, or the child of either, you will find plenty here to mull as we approach the next phase of our evolving American culture. A fun, interesting read.

Alan Ehrenhalt's premise is a provocative one: People in the 1950s were happy, and they were happy because they accepted authority. The book is a rebuttal to all those who portray the 1950s as the 'dark ages' of US history, and the author argues that even blacks were better off than popularly believed. Ehrenhalt takes us to three Chicago neighborhoods: the Southwest Side with its working-class Catholic population, the suburban community of Elmhurst, and the black ghetto of Bronzeville. In each, he shows that people in the 1950s were content with their lives, and in many ways were better off than they are now. Even Chicago's black ghetto had a multitude of black-owned businesses and black social organizations, which have since vanished, replaced by nothing but vacant lots and failed housing projects. This is a provocative work of social history that challenges our image of the 1950s, and in addition, it challenges our assumptions about the benefits of free choice and the 'evil' of obedience to authority.

I first read "Lost Cities of Ancient Lemuria and the Pacific" in Spring 1994 while a graduate student at Univ. of California at Riverside. I found the book while just aimlessly roaming through the univ's library in their sort of "alternate history" section (sorry; don't know where that is on the Dewey decimal system), where I found a pretty good collection of those kinds of books, going back as far as Churchward and Donnelly ....

Childress's book is, as others on here have written, a travelogue, in which he expounds on possible "lost civilizations" ranging from the Indian Ocean as far west as Madagascar all the way eastward to almost the west coast of North America. He brings in all kinds of references -- "academically credible" or not -- from Helena Blavatsky through Nazis and then all the way back to the Hebrew Exodus.

But that is just in the "controversial" parts of the book. Otherwise, he really does deliver a travelogue replete with his adventures of combing tiny Pacific islands and even camping out (I'm doing this one from memory) in a beach cave beneath the Easter Island statues. If you learn nothing else from this book, you might learn the tragic history of Easter Island and it's people.

Most people probably don't know that there are coral-stone megaliths on tiny Pacific islands and atolls; formations reminiscent of Stonehenge or Baalbek or some South American edifices, on islands not much larger than the formations themselves. Childress makes you wonder how that much labor could be marshalled for that much effort in what has been a sea-desert for as long as anyone knows.

The best thing Childress does with the empirical parts of the book is to raise the question of whether some unknown civilization --not necessarily originating in the Pacific-- could have traveled there and built megalithic structures for whatever their purposes might have been.. He gives attention to other areas also not usually included in the "lost civilizations" roll call, most particularly for me Australia.

Some will say "Childress is no archaeologist!" or might say his "literature review" is a rehash of old and dubious data. Yeah, I know he isn't, and I can spot cruddy data as quick as or quicker than anyone. He's throwing information at us in shotgun fashion, and it's up to the reader to decide what you'll accept or not. That's fine. I don't think Childress was pretending to "serious scholarship" with this one. Hey, the book is fun! ------- even for a grad student.


Live a little!! --which might be David Hatcher Childress's motto.

With few books on Lemuria out there, this one gives probably the best run-down on the idea of a lost continent in the Pacific. Atlantis is famous in the Atlantic, but few know of the evidence, via legends, geological and archeological, of a lost civilization in the Pacific. Geologists tell us that ocean levels were 300 feet lower 10,000 years ago--and Childress tells us that this would make mini-continents of some areas of the Pacific. Does civilization stretch back 10,000 or 20,000 years? If so, than Lemuria may have existed!

David Hatcher Childress's book looks at the Lemuria story, the lost continent of the Pacific or maybe Indian ocean, with great imagination and intellectual curiosity. For the first time since the 1930s he approached the subject in detail, and he is not afraid to take on many aspects of the story, however quirky, with an open mind. Moreover, I liked the physical descriptions of the places he visited, and the book can be read as an offbeat travelogue as well as alternative archaeology. Recommended reading for lost continent buffs!

We are grateful this book was handed to our New Zealand Immigration Services as a gift 7 years ago. Its not the sort of title you go out and shop for yourself if you have never read anything like this before. We couldnt put this book down, our friends try to steal it. Its the kind of book you pick up over and over, alot like a favourite internet page. David, who is American and at the time when he wrote this, a very young man, deserves alot of credit for his gusto on travel blogging, research and investigation skills. His writing and personality draws you into his adventure with humour and a new sense of wonder and appreciation if you are new to ancient geographical history, with interesting maps and details on the secrets of Lemuria and Pacific. David provided in simple, humourous and evokingly well constructed form, a bridge of knowledge to things we never knew about our beautiful continent as well as Asia and India.
If : you are keen on getting an insight to life or vacations in the Southern Hemisphere, are searching for unique travel destinations or ideas, are intrigued by archaeology, this book is a perfect start. If : you live in the Pacific Rim, are brand new to subjects regarding the esoteric origins of mans civilisation in your area, talk to people from all walks of life in your work, or even possess a curiosity for things outside or even inside the box. We recommend this book and all his other titles with 50 stars for David.

A truly, deeply stupid book. Written as part travelogue, part 'investigation' into apparent archaeological anomalies in the South Pacific, the book fails in both areas. Childress seems to have been exactly the sort of traveler who has given American tourists such a bad name: culturally insensitive and just plain dumb. His 'insights' into archaeology and culture are trite beyond description; he displays no critical skills when examining 'evidence' and displays a delight in sensation over facts. The usual suspects get interviewed; Rex Gilroy, the Antipodean version of von Daniken, for example. This book is definitely from the school of 'thinking' that finds ordinary archaeology- all that hard scientific stuff and all that annoying ivory tower university educated analysis- far too unsensational. So much more fun if space aliens had done everything for us, and archaeology is just a matter of ordinary blokes running around like Indiana Jones manques having adventures and finding lost temples and God knows what. Read at your peril.

Ugh. Stereotyped characters. Banal dialog. I had trouble getting through the first few chapters before I put it down.

When we went on our last vacation we read this book out loud to our two boys who are 10 and 12 years old. Everytime we got in the car both of our boys demanded I start reading the book again. When we finished the book, we all wished we had a sequel to read. Martin McMillan was a really fun story that kept our attention right up to the end. We also learned a lot about Inca history. I have recommended this book to all our friends. My son's good friend couldn't put the book down and when he finished it he said to his mother, "Where's the seqeul?"

My daughter and I read this book at the same time and enjoyed discussing the story. The book provides kids with adventure, cultural information, and a range of interpersonal relationships. Teaches kids to make the best of a situation that initially seems negative. We can't wait for the sequel!

This is a fun, interesting adventure story told through the eyes of Martin, who is in his "tween" years. Martin is a sweet kid who, while going through those tough pre-puberty years, is forced to move away from his friends and the suburban life he loves to go to a remote town in Peru with his family. He's not thrilled about the move, but he gives his new home a chance, and discovers that life is what you make of it. He develops some new friendships, learns about new cultures, and finds himself in the middle of a good mystery. The story is well-written and includes a lot of interesting information about Inca history and it's relationship with Peru. I can't wait to read it to my daughter!

I read this book on a plane on the way to visit my grandkids. It was to be a gift for them, but I couldn't put it down until I found out what happened! Intelligent, engrossing, mysterious, fun for all ages over about 8.

Petra and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans Before you go to Petra, or even if you can't go in person, read this book and get acquainted with the remarkable people who built it. It reads a little like a mystery novel. Discover the source of the wealth that made Petra important, and how they used diplomacy to survive and prosper. Enjoy the gorgeous photographs of this rugged desert country. This is a book to read before and after travel. It's heavier than I like to carry with me.

Lovely book. Beautiful images. Perfect if one wants to know about Petra reasonably in depth. Not an ideal travel companion, but great to get before your trip or after you've been.
Recommend strongly.

Taylor's book is a fine introduction to Petra and the Nabataeans. It is full of reliable information, and written so clearly that it will appeal to just about everyone. The photographs, taken by the author herself, are breathtaking.

The book is organized chronologically, with separate chapters on Petra, religion, language, and the Babatha archive. I wish the book had even more coverage of Petra, since that is the one Nabataean site that most people visit.

Unfortunately, the paperback edition of this book is so poorly bound that, in my copy at least, many of the pages actually separated from the binding, after turning them only once or twice. Since this is a book that most readers (including me) will want to keep and refer to again, I do recommend that you buy the hardback version, unless you are willing to put up with loose pages in your book.

Nevertheless, just about anyone who is interested in the Nabataeans, or visiting Jordan, will want to have this book in their library (loose pages and all).

extremely dry and unreadable. i live in the middle of that stuff and i'm extremely interested about middle east history. but i can't finish this book, threw it away wile i was in midway. at the end of each page i already forget what was in the beginning of the same page. feels like written by robot. poor binding on the top of that. book fell apart at first day of reading. one star for really great photgraphy.

As an architecural historian and researcher who has worked in Petra for fifteen years, I was thrilled to see a book of this caliber on the market. Books on Petra and/or the Nabataeans typically target the tourist market and either do not address its history accurately or they may do so in a way where that information is incorrect, obsolete or just boring. The research that went into this book is obviously up-to-date and relevant but as importantly, this is one interesting and beautiful book; Jane Taylor comes from a strong journalistic background and it shows! This book contains beautiful photographs, laid-out in a straightforward manner all coming together in one invaluable book. I would strongly recommend this book to scholars, students, teachers and all of those interested in this amazing part of our Mediterranean and global heritage.

Do not let that silly party poop discourage you from reading this marvelous book! Wonderfully written and a real page turner,this book is so evocative of Mexico in the last century. This book is a treasure.This has to be one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES.I love it.

I do have a copy of the book and have read it. It makes for a good tale if you don't know much about the area, which I didn't when I read it the first time. I was especially intrigued with where this ruin might be, but a few careful readings of the relevant portions gave no idea and they still don't.

Archaeologist Frans Blom was annoyed with the book enough to type up a quick rant and then a longer diatribe, both of which he placed inside that copy of the book at Na Bolom. A Mr. L.E Scott of Los Angeles had sent him a copy and that was what set him off. One thing he pointed out was that the "Mayan Jewels" they were supposed to have gone through hardship to get to even back then were attainable by truck or jeep in 2 1/2 hours from Comitan. I have copies of all this, courtesy of the Explorer's Club, which was kind enough to send me copies of what I told them about.

I read the many letters home from Herman "Carlos" Frey in researching my account of him. He was quite accurate in geographic details, so I presumed that his opinion about the Lambs was correct. His version has him traveling with them and becoming disenchanted. He wrote that the Lambs set up scenes in photos to make it look as though they were deep in the jungle. He described them as not being able to walk "three miles without pooping out."

One positive thing about the Lambs is certain. They did find some sort of minor ruin site that, based on the unique stela they photographed, was probably under the aegis of Yaxchilan. Unlike Blom, I think that the book is not a complete fabrication. Lamb's "Lasch-Tunich" has given way to being referred to as Laxtunich by those of us who are interested. People do wonder where it was, but wherever that is, the stela was presumably looted decades ago.

Although Blom wrote that "never has worse tripe been written," he was well known for hyperbole. There have been a good number of worse writings all over the World. And, if you think of it as a yarn, Quest for the Lost City isn't all that bad.

I read the Lamb books when I was about 10 years old (60 years ago!). I have never forgotten the pleasure I got from reading about the Lamb's adventures. I am so happy to have found the book again. Thanks for bringing back great memories.

Quest For The Lost city by Dana and Ginger Lamb is a wonderful book
Dwayne Shreve in his review of Quest For the Lost City on Amazon obviously has a problem with the author Dana Lamb. The Shreve vendetta of this now defenseless due to death adventurer manifests itself through defaming web posts. He uses the Amazon Forum to promote it.
Quest For The Lost city by Dana and Ginger Lamb is a wonderful book. Mr Shreve in his character association of the author has published a thesis on the web. I encourage anyone to read it. http://www.mostlymaya.com/Lost_City_Intro.htm
Mr Shreve gives not one footnote in his accusation . Anyone who read Quest For The Lost city as well as the Shreve paper can easily deduct that Mr. Shreve never read the book.
It is unfortunate that people like Dana Lamb are slandered without foundation to foster anothers agenda.
Quest For the Lost City along with Dana Lambs other book: Enchanted Vagabonds are wonderful reads.

My father read this book aloud to me when I was 7. When I was 37, I read it aloud to my sons. Now I am in my 50's, and I still pick it up and reread a chapter here and there. It is a really exceptional piece of nonfiction.

The narrative style is terse, but highly descriptive. The construct is deceptively simple: a newly wed couple, eager for adventure, hears about a tanalizing archaeological site- a well preserved pre-Columbian city, discovered by a flyer who lost his way over Central America. With only sketchy information about where this site is, they set out from California'on foot! With only what they can carry on their backs!

And what adventures these intrepid campers find! Held hostage by mexican bandits, adored by villiagers whom they help, they repair and fly an unflyable plane named Whezelbritches, navigate uncharted caverns and live off the land for food, medicine, and shelter. They also shoot, charm, and barter their way through dozens of tight spots, any one of which would have sent Indiana Jones packing.

And as if you weren't already getting double your money's worth in adventure, this narrative also has some timeless demonstrations of what makes a marriage successful. I won't tell you how their quest ends, but the climax to the adventure is unforgettable.

I am really looking forward to reading this book to my grand children!

Linsha Majere lacks charisma. There are a lot of details poured into her character, and she definitely comes across as a courageous, if unconventional, knight; but somehow I get the feeling that Mary Herbert is still trying to convince herself as to who Linsha Majere is. The writing seems a little overwrought, and the fantasy in the book (e.g. a modern city built around a spirit city) really doesn't serve the story. I'm still trying to finish this one, and I'm not sure I'll continue with the trilogy.

This was indeed an engrossing novel. I couldn't stop reading. Most of this novel takes places before DOAFS in an intriguing part of Krynn. Herbert did much better here than on her long-winded Clandestine Circle novel. This was a much easier, well-paced story.

Linsha & Varia are more entertaining & fleshed out too. There were plenty of other interesting characters including two very likeable Dragonlords & one not so likeable one. It'll be interesting to see what kind of villian the Brutes commander turns out to be.

City of the Lost is the first book in the Dragonlance: Linsha Trilogy. With any first book of a trilogy a good deal of time is spent setting up the story and characters. Mary Herbert does it in a way that doesn't feel like an 'information dump', it feels more like a part of the story, which is a nice change of pace.

Th story itself deal with Linsha being a knight and some of the trials a female knoght faces. Yet, that isn't all. Throughout this book there is a good mix of action and story building.

The past 3-5 years have been a down time in the Dragonlance world as there hasn't been many 'good' bboks. Yet, Herbert stands tall with a captivating story and a hero that we can believe in.

If you're a fan of the Dragonlance world I suggest you pick up this book. Herbert is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Hopefully you will feel the same.

This is one of the most engrossing Dragonlance novels I have read, outside of the core storyline. Linsha's character is well-developed and interesting, and the politics and intrigue of the book had me turning page after page. I can't wait for the next one! One suggestion for improvement: a map of the city and its immediate environs would have made the story easier to follow. Otherwise, nigh perfect.

This is a great tale, and fairly accurate and instructive. The Western world is sorely lacking in instruction about the non rational, can't put your tongue on it realities of which the author speaks. While what I know of Peruvian shamanism is very small compared to the author's knowledge and direct experience, I suggest that this effort to capture End Journeys is both admirable and riveting. I have used FOUR WINDS as a guide to non ordinary reality since my discovery of it as a legitimate map; my work in the Celtic otherworld supports what the author here describes in terms of the Peruvian landscapes of non ordinary reality. But personally, from a shamanic perspective, I want more of Antonio's accurate and real mentoring, and less of the neophyte journeyer's somewhat predictable story line. As a tale, the book is not as finely crafted as FOUR WINDS either. Nonetheless, a great read, but just not as instructive or as easy to read as I found FOUR WINDS. /D.L. Smith 12/12/98

For those seeking more info about Dr. Villoldo's lack of detail and other concerns regarding truthfulness in contemporary shamanism, please see "The Selling of the Shaman and the Problem of Informant Legitimacy" which appears in the Summer 1990 issue of 'Anthropological Research', Volume 46, Number 2. Dr. Villoldo is prominently featured.

In ISLAND OF THE SUN, co-authored with Erik Jendresen, Alberto Villoldo relates his Peruvian odyssey in search of his teacher, Don Antonio. ISLAND OF THE SUN is a dramatic, poetic adventure -- a profound exercise in suspending ones disbelief, in expecting the unexpected, in stretching the imagination, and in shattering the boundaries of consciousness. In short, it gives a glimpse into the mind of a shaman. It has been said that to know and understand a shaman, one must become a shaman. Villoldo has become a shaman. His story is a captivating articulation of his journey into the unknown; its imagery, vivid and enchanting - "the Sun glistened in playful white sparkles of light on the green waters. I listened to the cicada hiss, the high-pitched cacophony of the birds and the insects, the whir and hiss and chatter and hum that bounced off its surface and filled the clearing with music."

Villoldo sees his mission as that of translating the ancient psychology and truths contained in the Medicine Wheel of the Incas into a Western framework - into a psychology of the sacred. He sees the Medicine Wheel as providing a neurological map for the evolution and transformation of our species by accessing the state of consciousness that informs life. He sees the Medicine Wheel as offering a path through which we can override the oftentimes violent survival mechanisms of our primitive limbic brain.

Villoldo presents the symbolic imagery of the archetypal energies contained in the Medicine Wheel. In the South (serpent), we confront and shed the past like a serpent sheds its skin. In the West (jaguar), we overcome fear and death. By experiencing ourselves as conscious energy, death loses its sting and becomes but a doorway to one of infinite phases in eternity. In the North (hummingbird), we experience the knowledge and wisdom of the ancients. We access a sea of consciousness as vast as time itself. In the East (eagle), we experience a transcendent, comprehensive, vision of what we have learned. We share our story with the world as caretakers of the earth. That, he says, is our return home.

The psychology of the ancients is based on direct shamanic experience in different domains of consciousness. Its approach -- of experience and exploration -- is from the inside out; its goal -- to know, understand, and be in harmony with the forces of Nature. In Villoldo's experience, that approach requires a new state of mind - one that allows but is not distracted by subjective experiences. The skills required come naturally in the process of "serving experiences." He explains that when one's intent is in harmony with the experience, it is served. Otherwise, it is just an experience.

In shamanic awareness, Villoldo experienced innumerable altered states of reality by shifting his perspective to unaccustomed dimensions. The most profound, for me, was his experiencing the integrity of a multisensory dream body awareness in which everything was reflected within him. He described it as like being a champagne bubble with all images of life reflected upon its inner surface. As his teacher later pointed out, in that, everything was reflected but the seer himself, for the seer is invisible.

Purity of intention is the key to shamanic exploration. Abandoning preconceptions is necessary and essential. To master the stillness required in the dream body, Villoldo says that one learns how to be conscious without being self-conscious. Through purity of intention, it is said to be possible to enter a realm beyond dreaming -- a wondrous, rich dimension of magnificent power and splendor. Maintaining purity of intention is the challenge.

Shamans of Peru practiced an alchemy of the soul. They were said to be able to influence the past as well as the future because they understood the relationship between time and light. It is said that in becoming light (an Inca, a Child of the Sun), time was dissolved. Shamans knew that time doesn't fly only in straight lines like an arrow - it also turns like a wheel. When those two kinds of time intersect, says Villoldo, that is sacred, ritual time -- one can influence the past and summon destiny from the future. The challenge is not to let knowledge of the future influence present actions or intent. Therefore, the shaman must be able to keep a secret from himself.

Villoldo's teacher, Don Antonio, points out that in all the great cultures developed north of the equator, God is a descending god -- the Divine comes from the heavens and descends to the Earth. For the Incas, the only great culture to develop south of the equator, the god-force is ascending -- it "rises from Earth to the heavens like the golden corn." Antonio envisions the new caretakers of the Earth as coming from the northern hemisphere. ( A prophecy of hope and perhaps even a vote of confidence, I think, for those of us in the northern hemisphere.)

Villoldo points out the paradox of psychology -- that when we study the human mind, it is the mind studying itself. He adds that modern science has failed to identify the psyche or subject of this study. The mind continues to evade us. From his extensive laboratory research as a psychologist and his inquiries as a medical anthropologist, Villoldo testifies that mind cannot be derived from the neurology of the human brain. He believes that psychology is like physics in that the act of studying the psyche alters it . Villoldo strongly believes that now is the time for humankind to turn consciousness on itself and step into a grander consciousness in the evolution of mankind. He sees the path of the shaman as giving us clues for this process of exploration, discovery, realization, and transformation. He sees the path of the shaman as offering hope for a better world and a new humanity.

I must say how true it is when they say not to judge a book by its cover! Or, in this case by opinion only with no firsthand experience. I am currently studying with Alberto Villoldo through The Four Winds Society. Alberto will be the first to tell you that you must experience this to really understand and I will attest to that in full measure. The experiences and healing and wisdom of this system are profound. Having been a student and practitioner of alternative modalities since I was 15, I can attest to the fact that this system is like no other - and it works, as quickly as one is able to assimilate the process. Nothing else I tried, including traditional therapy - it only made things worse - has been able to fully release the deep seated issues of the extremely hostile enviroment I was born into and lived surrounded by for the first 30+ years of my life. If you are truly ready to be fully alive and free of the past - this will take you there in a graceful manner. And, it is fun as well as extremely effective. He also does not exclude useful modern medicine, there is a time and place for both.

The city of the lost. That is the nickname for the undersea village of Mahri Nui, where the inhabitants live by a thread, in fear and desperation, with no hope of ever reaching the surface. But don't we all, really live there? Like most of the matoran, we have memories of a life above, a life with purpose, but now all we feel is the need to survive.
However, most of us aren't willing to venture to the mysterious depths of the world beyond, and are content to live in a state of security and fear, rather than uncover the truth of our shadowy oppressors.
Filled with mythological themes and truths, the Bionicle stories are great inspiration for kids, and contain principles and truths that have been lost to our world.

City of the Lost had a good plot. The story moved a little too slowly, though. I liked the open ending of this book. It makes me want to look for the next book!

this book is about the mask of life fell in the sea.The book is great but a little action but the story is ok . THE bad guys are the Barraki 7 war lords of great power. THe barraki figth or the mask .