This is one of the most erudite, academic and yet at the same time, witty and informative books on archeology combined with philosophy ever to hit the shelves! [BR]
The subject matter is abstruse, in the sense that the author, a monk of many years standing in the Vaisnava tradtion, deals with the possibility that ancient Indian civilization was the result of direct intervention by alien or off-world cultures in the primitive affairs of developing humanity. The author achieves his aim through scrupulous academic research, a logically developed presentation that leaves no room for fuzzy thinking or his own religious bias, and copious end notes and references to back up his statements.
Further, he demonstrates the fallacy of the so-called rigorous "western" scientific approach - its conditioning, limiting and doctrinal attitude towards anything which challenges the status quo of establishment views, laying bare the hermetically sealed nature of minds deemed to be the most revered in sceintific circles. "The grip of social convention had become a vice" (pp 147) More importantly, he reveals the alarming way in which facts are routinely manipulated so as to conform to preexisting theories, and the manner in which established scientific minds are accorded a status of infallability to the point of deification.
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This is not a lightweight read, but it is certainly worthy of any effort required. Speculations are clearly presented for what they are, not cloaked as semi-facts; and his rapier wit relieves what could have been a tedious ennumeration of a series of historically verifiable events. In particular, his explanation of the use and misuse of the word "Aryan" is entertaining and enlightening; readers will also no doubt enjoy the expose of bungling Oxford scholar, Boden Professor of Sanskrit, H.H.Wilson, who admitted in writing: "These lectures were written to help candidates for a prize of 200 pounds. . . for the best refutation of the Hindu religious systems." (pp 178)[BR][BR]The book is available from the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, ISBN 978-1-84599-067-1, in a soft-cover version. The only adverse critcism could be that the photographic plates are small, black and white and not as clear as one could wish.[BR]