Rating: 
Summary: Make up your own mind
Review: This is a book you MUST read to make up your own mind. If you don't want to spend the money on a book you think is controversial (and it is) - go and get it out of the Library. Don't let any of these reviews make up your mind for you, including this one. Just read it.I am not a scientist and therefore cannot back or belittle these theories scientifically. But I am a person with an open mind with intelligence. Graham Hancocks book is a fantastic theory whether you believe it or not. Reading this book made me realise how a lot of Egyptologists and scientist go around with blinkers on and are not prepared in any way to listen to another theory, especially if it may change school textbooks and the fact that they may have got it wrong. We must remember that when we do walk around in musuems a lot of information that they have on artifacts are just good scientific guesses (a lot of people do believe everything they read - perhaps me included...), because basically they do not really know. Be nice if they were not too proud to admit that. One part of the book which really got me upset (which was good) is the fact that a lot of artifacts which they really do not know what they are, are left to rot in the archives and eventually forgotton about (and perhaps thrown out! forever to be lost to us). This book bought to me that it is about time some groups of people (i.e. egyptologists, Nasa and the rest of the world) started to work together with the realisation that we might actually discover some real truths about the world and our lost history that would benefit us all not just individuals if we simply worked as a team. But I guess that is human nature. Shame.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book for Stupid People
Review: If you have no brain, you might enjoy this book. If you are so incredibly gullible as to believe everything you hear, this book is for you. However, if you are intelligent and demand real evidence when a person makes a claim, I encourage you to avoid this book.
Rating:
Summary: The Fingerprints of the Garbage (from Mars)
Review: Science is great. Except for one thing. It's too hard. The public won't buy it. But if you are a bit more motivated, go to any fine portal site and enter the keyword "Fingerprints of the Gods". You will find hundreds of very well-grounded criticisms.
FYI, they published its Korean translation in two volumes. Somebody would have to doubly waste his/her money.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read
Review: Absolutely superb book that is well written and engaging. Important material with profound implications. While the book is not flawless and there are some leaps of faith (especially in speculative conclusion), it will make you a believer. Take the advice of an iconoclast, skeptic and former college professor -- read this book!
Rating:
Summary: As Valid As the Established Views
Review: In his intriguing work, Graham Hancock offers a number of mysteries regarding Humanity and Civilization, and then proceeds to write his conclusions. I must say I found his ideas quite plausible, mostly because he is not alone in this field and many other authors, working independently, have also published similar books, or works that deal with areas that coincide with Hancock's main conclusions. It is amazing, though, to read so many of the negative comments loaded with animosity and almost personal loathing of not only the book, but of the author as well. Also, to those readers who patronizingly tell the rest of us to read real science, or check with real archaeologists, the truth is that scientists are every bit as passionate about their dogmas, as religious fanatics are about theirs. Peer review is all very well, as long as you don't deviate from the established paradigm. Otherwise your career as a scientist is in serious jeopardy. It happened to geologist Virginia Steen-McIntyre, who went ahead with her dating of a Mexican site: she was fired, her career ended, and the date for the site was established at a less provocative age that didn't threaten conventional wisdom. Therefore a message to those who trust "science" will provide the answers: it will, but since science is made by humans, imperfection at all levels is part of the baggage. The so-called "Anomalous Objects" in museums fill rooms, almost nobody gets to see them, and they are there, stashed away, because they do not fit with our traditional view of history, geology, archaeology, etc. Graham Hancock has simply published a book that forces us to question the validity of the information previously absorbed, and brings forward ideas from other people which have as much validity as the traditionally taught history of Egyptians or Mayans. The truth is, when the evidence presented by archaeologists, egyptologists, and other professionals is examined critically, the traditional school is very far from convincing. This does not mean that the general public is ignorant or gullible. It means that when we cannot build a replica of the Great Pyramid today, with our technology (the Japanese tried and failed, and theirs was a far smaller "scale" replica), but are expected to believe that copper-tools wielding Egyptians could (2.3 million blocks of stone; weights going from 1.5 tons to 15 and 17 tons; "killer" slope of 52 degrees; near perfect alignement; perfect 90-degree corners; perfectly cut diorite blocks, and so on), then is when inquisitive, intelligent people wonder, How is that possible? Since traditional science provides answers that prove usatisfactory because they really feel like nonsense, people will look for alternative scenarios. Graham Hancock provides such scenario. He may be wrong, but his points are as solid, or more, than those of the now-accepted school of thought.
Rating:
Summary: A good read for an open mind
Review: In the last 150 years much has been learned that dispells the earlier teachings. And there has been many publications that dispell the beliefs of our past scholars. If we went back a bit further the scholars would have preached that the world was flat and you would fall of the edge if you went to far. Going back a little further we find that facts that we think were discovered recently were known long ago. Graham Hancock offers a great view of his pieces of the puzzle. If your mind is open to contemplate the many venues offered by various other great minds that have proposed valid questions that teachings of the past cannot explain, then this is a great read. If you are stuck in the past and still think the Earth is the center of the solar sytem and the universe, then don't bother. Go vote for Texas God Bush.
Rating: 
Summary: Earth's New History
Review: Graham Hancock has to be the best writer that forces us to question our past, present, and future. Fingerprints of the Gods left me with chills. If only half the theories are true, mankind is in store for a big suprise! Thank you Mr. Hancock for writing a history book that finally attempts to answer the age old questions of mankind
Rating: 
Summary: Exciting, even intriguing, yet far-fetched
Review: I read this book when it was first published, back in 1995, and as a rather credulous 14 year-old, was captivated by the exotic locations, ancient structures, and provocative theories it featured. Hancock's writing style, though not in the least scientific, had such an energy and a genuine enthusiasm for even the most outlandish claims that I found myself utterly engrossed by the material. Looking back some years later, after subsequent re-consideration, I have concluded that while my initial worshipful praise of the book was unmerited, neither does the volume deserve the reproof and utter condemnation accorded it by some previous reviewers. It is certainly dangerous to uncritically accept many of the more improbable theories of this book, most notably the claim that Atlantis was in fact Antarctica, which itself (in an ice-free state) was home to an ancient and highly advanced civilization. The appeal here, as in many other instances, is to popular imagination rather than rational inquiry: the book is not written for specialists, but for the public, and as such Hancock can afford to spout baseless theories knowing full well that many gullible readers will be taken in. The opinionated attacks on so-called "orthodox" Egyptologists and the highly tenuous astronomical, mythological, and historical claims are not only irresponsible and unscholarly, they aid the spread of misinformation among a public that is obviously all too eager to absorb any new, enticing, "unorthodox" theory. At its very core, however, the book is grounded in fact, and it is at this most basic level that the astute reader can glean some genuine insight. The chapter dealing with Giza, in particular, raises some perfectly valid questions about the building methods of the Egyptians. Why, for instance, are the pyramids of Giza totally unadorned? Not a single commemorative line, cartouche, or relief sculpture graces the inner chambers of what are reputed to be the burial places for three great Pharaohs of a prominent Egyptian dynasty. How where these great structures built, and why did the builders prefer cyclopean, 200-ton blocks to smaller, more manageable ones, which would have been perfectly adequate in terms of structural and aesthetic qualities? These questions, and many more (particularly those concerning the antiquity of the sphinx) are sound and thought provoking. Despite some of the clear-headed logic that emerges in certain instances, the book often lapses into far-fetched theories on subjects as varied as Aztec mythology and Ice-Age climate. Hancock takes a valid point and carries it far beyond its logical conclusion. The book is at heart entertainment, and it is written to please the imagination rather than the intellect. We all want to believe in an ancient, highly-advanced civilization, a mysterious "Golden Age," lost in the depths of antiquity, during which humanity attained a godlike perfection. This desire (it unquestionably exists) is more the realm of psychology than history, and Hancock has taken it, as many of the myths he analyzes, far too literally. So, if anyone has bothered to read this far, the book is an entertaining read which provides descriptions of some of the world's most intriguing and ancient structures: it simply does not provide believable answers to the questions it raises. Take what you can from its more lucid passages, and approach the rest with a dose of logic and measured skepticism.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting ideas
Review: I thought the book was interesting. I like books that have an interesting story to tell and can make me think for myself. I found that it provoked questions that the current physical and social sciences cannot possibly answer. And no matter how good the scientific method is, it would never be able to answer these questions because it doesn't have the required ability to take the quantum leap that is necessary. Methods afterall are methodical. A quantum leap like the one Einstein used to describe his theory of special reletivity are required. My unanswered questions are, for example, how does man spontaneously decide to develop skills such as language, writing, art, architecture, and farming? How were the pyramids actually built? And most importantly why? The scientific method is utterly inadequate to explain the "why"...the closest it comes is to hypothesize (read guess). However, this book didn't answer my questions either. It only gave me more questions; questions awaiting answers. I guess that's what I deserve for trying to find answers in a book. After all, books are only there to help you find answers within yourself by making you think.
Rating:
Summary: Needs more evidence
Review: I am shocked by the number of positive reviews of this book. People in this country must have extremly little background in science if they believe the thesis of this book. If anyone had done research on any of Hancock's claims, they would know that he makes entirely illogical and unscientific arguments. Future readers- don't waste your time with this pretend science.
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