The Order of Days: The Maya World and the Truth about 2012. by David Stuart. Harmony Books, New York, 2011.
The world’s foremost expert on Maya culture looks at 2012 hysteria and explains the truth about what the Maya meant and what we want to believe.
(I’m not the world’s “foremost expert on Maya culture,” but I hope the book will be of wide interest to many; it’s less about the 2012 phenomena, and more about what the ancient Maya believed about the role of time in their cosmology, religion and history.)
Here’s yesterday’s review from the Wall Street Journal.
I really like this book, but noticed a misprint that could confuse readers. On page 108 there is a drawing showing a: K’in, b: Ha’b, c: Uuh, and d: Ek, but the caption has Ha’b first, and 7 lines down from the drawing it refers to a as being Ha’b when it is actually K’in.
Many thanks. I’ve found a couple of other dumb mistakes as well. I’ll post these at some point on the MD blog. They’ll be corrected in the next edition.
Excellent! I’ve just added this to my wish list. I generally direct 2012 fanatics towards the FAMSI debunking article, but it will be great to have more fuel for the flames of reason.
Tangentially, I’d like to thank you Dr. Stuart, for your important work in Mayan epigraphy. I’ve had an interest in the Maya since I was a child, and this last semester at Cleveland State University, I was fortunate enough to take the first (of a two-part) Maya Writing class under the tutelage of Dr. Phil Wanyerka. No doubt the incredible work of yourself and other prominent Mayanists like Linda Schele have made this subject more accessible for schools to teach and for students like myself to learn.
It’s very exciting to delve into a world which remains in so many ways untrodden. While the study requires much work and devotion, there is a feeling of great satisfaction that accompanies being able to discern these “esoteric” glyphs.
This past semester our area of focus was Yaxchilan; I was blown away by the degree of political complexity and intrigue, things most mainstream sources skip over when discussing anything about the classic Maya. (My own research on Lintels 13 and 14 is posted on my recent blog, address above.) Next semester we’ll be covering Tikal, and I’m already devouring any information on the site I can gather.
This blog is fantastic, and I look forward to keeping up with your important contributions both here and in print.
Thanks again!
Excellent! I’ve just added this to my wish list. I generally direct 2012 fanatics towards the FAMSI debunking article, but it will be great to have more fuel for the flames of reason.
Tangentially, I’d like to thank you Dr. Stuart, for your important work in Maya epigraphy. I’ve had an interest in the Maya since I was a child, and this last semester at Cleveland State University, I was fortunate enough to attend the first (of a two-part) Maya Writing class under the tutelage of Dr. Phil Wanyerka. No doubt the incredible contributions of yourself and other prominent Mayanists like Linda Schele have made this subject more accessible for schools to teach and for students like me to learn.
It’s very exciting to delve into a world which remains in so many ways untrodden. While the study requires much work and devotion, there is a feeling of great satisfaction that accompanies being able to discern these “esoteric” glyphs.
This past semester our area of focus was Yaxchilan; I was blown away by the degree of political complexity and intrigue, things most mainstream sources skip over when discussing anything about the classic Maya. (My own research on Lintels 13 and 14 is posted on my recent blog, address above.) Next semester we’ll be covering Tikal, and I’m already devouring any information on the site I can gather.
This blog is fantastic, and I look forward to keeping up with your important contributions both here and in print.
Thanks again!
I just noticed that there is a very old, defunct blog linked to my WordPress account. The address I was referring to is:
http://walkingtheruins.blogspot.com/
Hi dad! It’s me, Richard!
Hi Richard! Time for bed!
Here’s Johan Normark’s interesting take on one rather paranoid review of my book:
http://haecceities.wordpress.com/2011/06/03/2012-comments-on-a-review-of-a-book/
One point that surfaces in some of these discussions (on Amazon, of all places) is my perceived failure to cite MacLeod and Gronmeyer’s analysis of the final passage of Tortuguero Monument 6, which was published as a Wayeb Note in 2010. One very simple reason for this is I submitted my completed book manuscript to Random House in September, 2009. Also, as Normark implies, I happen to have my disagreements with their take on that inscription. The last several glyphs don’t pertain to the 13.0.0.0.0 4 Ahaw 3 K’ank’in date (2012), but rather back-reference the ancient shrine dedication that’s central to the text’s narrative.
Dave,
I just bought your book the other evening from a Barnes and Noble in Chino Hills, Ca. They happened to have several copies on the shelf. Unfortunately, and much to my horror, the shelf they sat on was in the new age section! But it is an excellent read and worth every cent!
Cheers,
Jeremy
Dr. Stuart,
WOW!
I have always been an adventurer at heart…interested in ancient history of both the old world and the new. As it has become a hobby of mine (and my girlfriend) for the last two years, I dedicated one day a week to watching or picking up a documentaries (book or video). This past weekend I stumbled among these two extraordinary works – “Cracking the Maya Code” & “Breaking the Maya Code”. These two documentaries lead me to your name and opened up a flood gate of interest. I wanted to thank you personally for the inspiration you have given me (as I intend to take classes related to Maya study) and look forward to reading your book.
Thanks again,
Todd