[.ca] Lost Cities of North & Central America (ISBN 0932813097)

Lost Cities of North & Central America:
I could not put the book down, until I had consumed over half the material. It make for a great read and a must for the curious traveler. This book will really make you reconsider some of the things you were taught in school.

Interesting and Thought Provoking:
This book is very interesting and thought provoking. I enjoyed reading it. Rather than a book that explains what places you can visit, how to get there and what to see when you go- this is more of a journal of the authors travels. In here he tells you what he sees, what he thinks and the things he learns. The author covers a wide range of thoughts from pteradactyles still living to Asians visiting Mexico to Romans in Arizona. I rated this a four instead of a five for two reasons. At times the writing seems stiff and it makes it hard to wade through some sections of this book. Also, the proofreading leads a lot to be desired. Words are left out, typos and spelling errors are plenty. Enough to be a distraction at times. Otherwise, it's an interesting book and well worth reading. Enjoy.

How to read Childress:
There are two ways to read Childress. If you want to live in a button-down, straight laced world of academic archeologists, then every time Childress asks a question, just answer (to yourself) No! Then go about with your boring life. But if you want to live a little wild, to peel back the layers & pierce the veil, then answer (again, to yourself) Yes! to every one of his questions. Should you do that, you will have a gay old time figuring out how the world all fits together! Honestly, DHC's speculations are full of BS, but it sure is fun suspending your disbelief & reading these books. Someone mentioned that DHC really seems like a great guy, and you get that sense reading this book. Sounds like he would be a really cool guy to travel & chat with. His travel writing is straighforward, but exciting. Unfortunately, the book is full of typos & poorly done photographs. After reading 5+ of the Lost Cities series, I don't even notice anymore, but it will bug some beginners.

Highly entertaining:
I received this book as a birthday present last month from a friend who has read a number of Childress's books. As we share an interest in anthropology and have visited some of the sites in New Mexico mentioned in this book, she thought I would enjoy it. And I did! This book is part travelogue, part archaeology text, and part collection of legends, folktales, and any odd theories he comes across. The mix makes for interesting reading. Childress is intelligent and well-informed but quirky as well. His observations on people he meets and life in the places he visits are at times insightful, funny, and strange. The only warning I'd give is that the books published by Adventures Unlimited tend to be poorly edited so don't be surprised to find some spelling and grammar errors present. Still, these errors didn't detract from my enjoyment of "Lost Cities of North and Central America." This isn't a serious academic text, but it's quite informative, an excellent read, and lots of fun!

A Travelogue of Archaeology:
Much of this book is pleasant escape reading, and some of the things discussed are intriguing, such as tunnel systems associated with some ruins. The book was spoiled for me, however, when I came to chapters dealing with things I knew of firsthand. One major Northwest petroglyph site is placed in the wrong state. There are just enough wrongo facts to make me wonder how many others masquerade as reality in the text. I will reread the book in the future and enjoy the mysteries of past cultures south of the border, while keeping a salt block handy for the rest of it. His books certainly hold true to the basic instructions for finding lost cities - ask the locals. Few lost cities are truly lost to those who live in the area. They're just forgotten. Enjoy this as a tale told by a traveler, and a collection of some of the more interesting legends of American mystery archaeology. I don't really think there are Egyptian treasures in the Grand Canyon, but I would be delighted if they were real. The same holds true for the treasure-laden tunnels of Death Valley...