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A must read book.
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 95 16:33 EST
From: Dinesh Agrawal <DXA4@PSUVM.PSU.EDU>
Title: In Search of the Cradle of Civilization
New Light on Ancient India
By: Georg Feuerstein, Subhash Kak, and David Frawley
ISBN 0-8356-0720-8
Quest Books, 1995
Hardcover, 341 pages
($24, 1-800-669-9425)
"This is a scholarly masterpiece and belongs in the home and library
of every person who wishes to evolve using the wisdom of the ages."
-Deepak Chopra, M.D., author of
_Ageless Body, Timeless Mind_ and _Quantum Healing_
For decades schoolbooks have taught that Sumer was the cradle of
civilization and that Aryans invaded India from the north. But in
this groundbreaking book three renowned scholars show that there was
no "Aryan invasion" and that India, not Sumer, was the cradle of the
civilized world. By exploring the rich symbols. metaphors, and myths
of the Vedas, this book also examines the wealth of India's
spirituality and its relevance for today's world.
"IN SEARCH OF THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION is truly groundbreaking and
will provoke vigorous debate. In my estimate, this is a landmark
book and the foundation for the rewriting of human history since 6000
BCE."
-Dr. Klaus Klostermeier, Professor of
Religious Studies, University of Manitoba
Rarely does a book challenge previously accepted historical theory --
especially theory which has been the standard for over ninety years
and taught in elementary schools across the country. Written by
widely respected experts in the field of Indic Studies, IN SEARCH OF
THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION proves that India was the birthplace of
advanced culture, dispelling the long held belief that Sumer was where
civilization began. Authors Feuerstein, Kak, and Frawley show through
reinterpretation of existing archaeological, linguistic, and Vedic
documentation that there was no "Aryan invasion" bringing advancement
of knowledge from the north. Advance culture already existed as
revealed in the sumptuous tapestry of now-redated literature.
IN SEARCH OF THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION comes at a time when interest
in the ancient world is at an all-time high. As more and more
evidence around the world is uncovered, history demands to be
rewritten. (Witness the unparalleled success of Riane Eisler's _The
Chalice and the Blade_, which rewrote the spiritual history of
European culture.) In an unfolding historical detective story destined
for college reading lists, Feuerstein, Kak, and Frawley conclusively
prove that history as we know it must be reexamined.
Yoga practitioners and readers interested in Eastern religions will
find IN SEARCH OF THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION a treasure-trove of
Indian spirituality, whose symbol, metaphor, and wisdom will enhance
present-day life.
"With ease and economy, this small volume pulls together a wide
spectrum of research to dramatically redraw the contours of academic
convention..."
-Robert Lawlor, author of _Voices of the
First Day_ and _Sacred Geometry_
Author Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D., religion historian and Yoga
researcher, has written over twenty books, including _Holy Madness_,
and _Sacred Paths_. He lives in Lower Lake, California. Subhash Kak,
Ph.D., is a Vedic scholar and a professor of electrical and computer
engineering. His most recent books are _The Nature of Physical
Reality_ and _India at Century's End_. He lives in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. David Frawley, O.M.D., is director of the American
Institute of Vedic Studies and an Ayurvedic specialist. His most
recent books include _Gods, Sages, and Kings_ and _From the River of
Heaven_. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
More praise for _In Search of the Cradle of Civilization_:
"From a formidable team of scholars comes a challenging attempt to
introduce clarity into history. Feuerstein, Kak, and Frawley know
India's traditions inside out. This book is a thrilling piece of
scholarship, an exercise of head _and_ heart."
-Larry Dossey, M.D., author of _Healing Words_
and _Recovering the Soul_
"This is a fascinating attempt to set the record of India's ancient
history straight, by clearing the field of much scholarly
misinformation and disinformation. The work merits wide attention
from students, teachers, and researchers in the humanities."
-Prof. K. L. Seshagiri Rao, chief editor
of _Encyclopedia of Hinduism_
"The authors have successfully unfolded the mystery of Indian
cultural traditions to the eyes of Westerners and particularly the
Indians who continue to see India through Western eyes.'
-Dr. S. P. Gupta, chairman of the Indian Archaeological Society,
New Delhi
"IN SEARCH OF THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION is obsessively readable and
of tremendous importance, redating as it does the age of civilization
by four thousand years."
-Colin Wilson, author of _The Outsider, Religion and the
Rebel_, and _The Mind Parasites_
"This reinterpretation of humankind's early history has the most
profound implications for our understanding of modern society and its
problematic future. It powerfully reminds us that knowledge and
understanding can be lost as well as gained, and that the modern
world's vaunted technological "progress" may be an aberration of a
deeper evolutionary trend in which we appear as essentially spiritual
beings in a spiritual universe. The issue of the true "cradle of
civilization" is of far more than academic importance; it is at the
heart of our collective understanding of our roots and our apparent
destiny. This is a tremendously important book -- and "a good read"
as well. Feuerstein,. Kak, and Frawley have performed a magnificent
service toward our understanding of ourselves. I have unqualified
praise for this important scholarly contribution.'
-Willis Harman, President, Institute of Noetic Sciences
IN SEARCH OF THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION dispenses with several jaded
and time-worn academic myths about ancient India...Moreover, this
book is straightforward but nonetheless challenging in its careful
presentation, long overdue, of the significance of ancient Indian
civilization and culture for the study of world history.
-Dr. Guy L. Beck, Department of Religious Studies, Loyola
University of New Orleans, author of _Sonic Theology_
--------------------------
Sent by "Dinesh Agrawal" <DXA4@PSUVM.PSU.EDU>
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