Rating: 
Summary: The Most Presumptiously written book I've ever not finish
Review: This book should really be categorized under science-fiction. I got as far as the 2nd chapter and refused to insult my intelligence any further. What realy bothers me about books like these is that it portrays myths as facts to the people out there who are really trying to learn about ancient history and its civilizations. It would be fine if the guy wrote it from a theoretical point of view. But he actually believes that the "Gods" referred to in Greek and Sumerian mythology were actually beings from another planet! Also open for debate is Mr. Sitchin's belief that civilization began 5,800 years ago. Back in the 70's when this book was written, much of what was thought to be fact in accordance to the origin of civilzaton is now in dispute thanks to recent discoveries such as the 5,300 year old "Iceman" found in Northern Italy proven to have had contact with an early civilization. The best advice I can give to those who wish to resarch ancient civilizations is read books that have been written in the last few years, and ignore anything put out by Mr. Sitchin.
Rating: 
Summary: The 12th Planet
Review: If one can remove the cloak of prejudice incurred by the many waco`s on the origins of mankind. He may find the theories of Dr. Sitchins quite compelling. I, in my many years of research for the true meaning of life, by chance came upon Mr. Sitchins work. I realized I was looking in the wrong places. I was directing all my attention on religion, with the exception of paganism. After 10 years of intense research, I decided to see exactly who everyone was warned to be, "beware of". I was really surprised to find Dr. Sitchins work isn`t filled with the contradictons that fill the Scriptures of modern day Christadom. I find many of his parallels amusing, as I myself have a working knowledge of Hebrew. It would take a lot of research to try to validate Dr. Sitchins work. Take my word. After 10 years, I`m looking forward to finish THe Earth Chronicles.
Rating:
Summary: Truth may be hard to take.
Review: Sitchin's work is really the collection and integration of the work of hundreds of qualified scholars much like a systems architect systhesizes an enterprise network from existing parts. The validation of his work with the discoveries of modern science and technology, not the least of which is the recent discovery by NASA that their upgraded computers are predicting another planet in our solar system based on slight bumps in the orbits of the near planets, continues to enhance the validity of Sitchin's insight. The most powerful aspect of this work is the recognition that ancient people were good observers rather than imaginative myth writers. When they wrote, they wrote what they saw. That the gods experimented with genetics was widely observed,eg., a creature which was half man and half horse. That they allowed their experiments to live is testament to their value system regarding life. Scholars and cosmologists the world over are coming around to creationism as macroevolution dies a natural and overdue death. Sitchin has shown us that created we were, but seen through new glasses, the results make a lot more sense. Sitchin gives a tough introduction to the problems of translation in the first three chapters.The reader will appreciate the difficulties just reading the material. But the pace of revelation picks up after that and the ride is thrilling. I had to proceed with Chapters 4+ and come back to Chapters 1-3 from time to time to understand the logic, but that is the price of learning. This may be the most important book any of us ever reads in terms of expanding our minds and tuning in with the universe. Most UFO books are about witnessed events or appearances largely ridiculed in an era where we can send someone to jail or death based on witnessed events but we cannot accept what similarly competent people say about UFO events. We say that these UFO events don't yield to the scientific method, a convenience more often than not for not thinking. Here Sitchin exposes the works of hundreds of scholars translating the works of historians from 6000 years ago. Couple that with the confirmations of these ancient revelations with modern accepted scientific revelation, and you have some of what it takes to support a new and better understanding of who we are and why.
Rating:
Summary: 1 star for truth, 5 stars for great science fiction!
Review: Everyone vows and yarns that Sitchin is an expert and scholar in the field of Summer. He very may well be. But to be a scholar and to write a scientific and scholarly paper are two different things it seems when it comes to Sitchin. Sitchin's grasp of comsology and physics is longing, creating a theory that at best should have been written in a novelised sci fi series. Lacking coherent footnotes and notes for the reader to research, Sitchin weaves a fantastical tale that many gobble up as gospel. Problem lies in how Sitchin does it and why. Sitchin has been found to have used both Summerian and Annokadian text to create a littany of interpretations that go along with his theory. Now a theory is just that, it doesn't have to be a scientific one, but that's what Sitchin is trying to pass this off as. The true history of man, which - I must say - it is not. Stichin tries to pass his well written science fiction off as fact with flawed physics and interpretations of 2 different texts that were never supposed to be used together (Annokadian and Summerian). There are many different problems with his theory besides the orbit of Nibiru, Earth being pushed into a new orbit, the creation of our moon, the asteroid belt, etc..., but I find doing research to be the fun part. [...] If you want to take this at face value, then I suggest another set of books also - Battlefield Earth by Hubbard. It tells of our true ancient past also. Hmmmmm.
Rating:
Summary: How Insulting!
Review: I have always been interested in alternative views of history, in particular in ancient civilizations and human development. While this book did entertain a different perspective, Sitchin made the mistake of presenting his preposterous theory as though it were already proven fact. His "evidence" appeared one-sided, as though it could not mean anything else. It was apparent that he manipulated texts to support his idea. At first, I found this book entertaining, something to laugh at when I was bored. After a while, however, it just became overbearingly insulting. He must have thought that people were gullible or so uneducated that his theory could be taken in. Parts of the book made me scream "My God, you are an Idiot!" I'm actually trying to get my money back from the publisher for subjecting me to this nonsense.
Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing
Review: Of all the scientists to come from behind the Iron Curtain, Sitchin is the most fascinating. His ideas reflect the need most Eastern Europeans and Asians have, in my opinion, to attribute greatness to ancestors who may or may not merit such attention.Nevertheless, Sitchin does exhibit brilliance in lateral thinking. He takes information and evidence available and re-interprets it in ways never before considered. His interpretations give us a starting point from which to launch questions against the established dogma of history. History is the target of this book, of that there is no doubt. Sitchin's contention that all history is skewed not just toward the victors but out of time altogether is a marvelous example of a mind ready to change. If you need help finding out why things don't seem quite right when reading about ancient history, this book will prove an invaluable resource.
Rating:
Summary: keep on searcing after sitchin
Review: At the beginning of my quest for answers to the Universe, i found sitchin's books. they are all full of intriguing ideas and possible answers to the origins of humankind on earth. i see strong hints of his theories in X-Files and the Star Trek series. and i say this as a fan of these shows. readers, keep this in mind, sitchin's works DO NOT complete your search for answers to The Origins of Life or the Universe. sitchin's works are truely interesting and can be exciting. BUT BEWARE: do not let your searchings and readings stop here with Sitchin. Continue to search for answers with more reading and research to satisfy your intellect and soul. i would suggest other authors such as Peter Russell (White Hole in Time, Global Brain) for academic and philosophical theory on the evolution of life on earth. And Ken Carey(The Third Millenium) for further answers to the cosmic origins of mankind that comes with satisfying prose on the spiritual essence and the Universe's purpose in humans. whether your try these authors and others, i hope you find other material to further your personal search for Answers.
Rating:
Summary: Optimistically Skeptical
Review: I've read the Sitchin collection. It's a mind boggling experiance. It's also very scholarly. An expert in Sumerian language, culture, et al.., Mr. Sitchins findings, if remotely accurate, explains a lot of empty holes in our History. I have never bought the fact that ancient cultures could be THAT imaginative. I am a believer that imagination is based on some basis of experience, exposure to or passed on story. You've heard the expression, there are no original thoughts, just original ways of presenting old ideas. I can't imagine that these civilizations just made up all those elaborate stories without some sort of core truth. Was there another more advanced culture? I wouldn't doubt it--there is so much we don't know. Mr. Sitchin's assertions are worth the read if only to spark further inquiry intoour mysterious and ancient past. Also read the works of Graham Hancock. His assertions are the same but different. He looks at the world where Sitchin focuses on a region. Never the less, why is it so hard to believe that our past may have been manipulated, Why couldn't there be a prehistory that has yet to reveal itself to us in detail. It's fascinating and deserves a serious study. Those who mock these ideas now once believed the universe rode on the back of a great turtle, or thought the world was flat or mocked Copernicus. A small question can ignite an inferno of curiosity and lead those who are brave enough into a wonderful world of adventure.
Rating:
Summary: A hammer for the beginning
Review: This is the first book of "The Earth chronicles" series in which Zecharia Sitchin tears the man's origins apart and puts them in a whole new perspective. Author is one of the top scholars in field of the ancient languages and offers his vision of extraterrestrial origins of Homo sapiens on Earth. His main point is that all ancient documents are written on the base of observations and facts and should not be taken symbolically. As we presume today, civilization has originated in Mesopotamia, but no one can really explain the fact that right from its start it was highly developed, that it blossomed virtually out of nothing and created incredible works, which we are not capable of performing even to date. Sitchin quotes many ancient documents, mostly Bible and Epic of Gilgamesh (which he read in Akkadian and Babylonian) and offers more sensful translation of these scripts. He also explains discrepancies of single/plural God in the Genesis and shows how the extraterrestrial wisdom has spread over other countries (Egypt, Greece, India...). Gods came from planet Nibiru (or Marduk in Babylonian), which has been created for special task: to bring order in our, at the time overcrowded solar system. After crushing Tiamat and forming Earth and Moon, planet Nibiru went on his comet-like journey, returning to the Sun in every 3,600 years. Life has formed and developed on it and some 450,000 years ago they noticed that our planet has some resources they desired. So they established settlements on Earth in range of Mesopotamia, because it is very rich with fuels, needed for space travelling. Man was created with genetic manipulation after their image (they mixed hominid's genes with their own in order to obtain higher IQ level) to do the mining work for them. In sitchin's light some very confusing and presumably highly imaginative texts suddenly seem very realistic. He explains why such monumental works like ziggurats, pyramids and other vast temples have been made and for what purposes they were used. The most monumental event in Earth's "modern" history was the Deluge, the Great Flood, found written and known everywhere around the world. Sitchin explains how Gods knew that it's going to happen and why Noah (or Ziusudra or Utnapishtim) was chosen to survive. After the waters flew away (the Deluge was coincided with the end of the Ice Age and the gravital pull of the passing Nibiru, therefore it lasted for a year), Gods gave many different technologies to people and they spread all over the Earth again. The book is very well written - if you don't accept the theory inside, it's still interesting piece of science fiction for you. I think Sitchin knows what he writes and the evidence written inside is sure enough for me. I already look forward what volume 2 will bring. And - if you disagree, maybe you know better?
Rating:
Summary: Makes you wonder...but it doesn't say much between the lines
Review: I have read all of Mr. Sitchins' books and if you could only choose one, this cetinaly would be it. It is a relatively easy read and does build up a sound base to build up to its' point. There is quite a bit of historical data to be gained from these pages as well. It's what follows in the latter parts that are a little hard to take. It becomes a little obvious to those who read Sitchin in depth that you begin to notice a disturbing pattern. His "facts" are turned ever-so-slightly to match his story. What I mean by this is that I beleive he had a story and used a thin layer of facts to back up his claims. He bases some outrageous claims on very flimsy evidence and then turns it into fact and uses it to jump to next theory, laying his basis of that on his previous "fact". He builds alot of what he says in such a manner. I also beleive that Carl Sagen's phrase of substantiating incredible theories with incredible evidence to be justifiable in this case. Sitchin is obviously a very bright man with an incredible amount of knowledge in historical facts. However,I also beleive that knowledge is used to cloak his strong case. I also believe that the ancient Gods did represent our solar system (see Hamlet's Mill)and that knowledge was lost through time, but not by gods mining gold to keep their planet alive. I gave it four stars because it's a good read, obviously based in some deep research, and does bring some intereting points to light. So if I were asked.."Do I recommend this?"...I would answer.."Yes it's worth your time but read it like he has something to prove to you and see what you come away with?"
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