Atlantis

While I have not yet finished reading the book, I have read enough to appreciate the author's sensible approach to resolving the mystery of whether Atlantis ever existed at all, and if so, where it might have been. The author begins with a well considered analysis of Plato's accounts of Atlantis, and what factors may affect the truthfulness and accuracy of those tales. However, I am more impressed by the author's early recognition that sea levels were much lower 12,000 years ago, and the outlines of continents would have been different, and so would the regions of human population (mostly along now submerged coastlines). This fact seems too often overlooked in previous or competing theories. On the downside of this book, the first chapter was written with all the academic rigor of a cocktail party monologue, reminiscent of Erick von Daniken's "Chariots of the Gods". There seem to be a number of editing errors, or inconsistencies. The author seems to confuse "descendant" with "ancestor". Additionally, he neglects the archeological evidence of stone-age man using flint tools in America, while supposing that Atlanteans enjoyed a global, cosmopolitan culture, along side primative shanty-towns. Even with the ghettos in America, you find plastic spoons from McDonald's. I almost threw the book away, but the following chapters made me glad I did not, and I look forward to completing the book and this review in the weeks to come.