I’m nearing the end of John Sorenson’s monumental tome, Mormon’s Codex: An Ancient American Book, and highly recommend it. There is a lifetime of serious research from a good scholar in this work. Book of Mormon students will find numerous details from the geography, geology, archaeology, anthropology, and natural science of Mesoamerica enrich our understanding of the Book of Mormon and even its message. It’s worth the weeks that it may take you to get through this very large book.
It’s not an easy read, especially if you buy the electronic version from Deseret Book and try to read it on an Android device. Abandon hope. Deseret Book is aware of the failed execution of their ebook and is giving refunds to those who are experiencing trouble. Stick with real paper–it’s healthier, easier on your eyes, easier to read, and being made from a carbon-dioxide-removing renewable resource, is actually better for the environment than using coal-powered electricity from destroyed mountain tops in West Virginia, but that’s another story. The main thing is you can read it and enjoy it far better as a physical book than an ebook. However, it appears that Amazon is now offering a Kindle version. If that’s really a Kindle version and not an ebook that must use Deseret Book’s unfortunate Deseret Bookshelf software, then that should work. Actually, the Deseret Bookshelf version was fine when I was reading it on my old iPad 1, but after moving to a Samsung Android device, I was pretty much unable to read longer chapters, make notes, or add highlighting. Sad.
I’ve got a lot to say about the book and some of the gems I’ve found in it. More on that later.
I got the bundled dead tree version and e-version. It was the only thing I wanted for Christmas. As a kid (11 yo) I read Nibley's An Ancient American Approach to the Book of Mormon.
Coal use in electric power in the US is dropping fast. West Virginia is probably going into another recession. I think that if they pipe the flares from North Dakota to new power plants we could reduce the use of coal further.
Still, it is best to read on dead tree.
I have the book too, and lemme channel my inner Korihor:
LIes! All Lies! Hackery! Polygamy! Salamanders! The Koch Brothers! Aliens! Some apostle read my book, I cannot tell you who, and totally believes me! The Church is doomed, DOOMED, I say! Just like Apple!
Whew. That should cover most of the forthcoming rage against the good stuff Sorenson has in this book.
I particularly liked the page of Olmec statuettes. Kind of puts the kibosh on the "Not a soul in America came from anywhere than across the Bering Strait until the Vikings and then Columbus!!!" prattle you hear so frequently.
You mention reading on paper is healthier. I recently have seen articles saying reading on screens can be unhealthy. Are you aware of any research on to much "screen time"?
The high schools in our city passed a referendum to buy each student an iPad. All classroom books will be downloaded on the iPad.
My spouse has special prescription glasses to use at work since he has to look at a computer screen all day. The opthamologist said electronic screens are hard on the eyes and can cause eye fatigue and headaches.
My husband says the special glasses help. I have not looked to see if there is any research on the electronic screens and how it affects the eyes. Before I lost my job I looked at computer screens all day and my eyes bothered me. Some people have no problems with electronic screens bothering their eyes.
EG
$34.99 for Kindle?!
$51.38 for hardback?!
That Shanghai job must be paying you well, Jeff.
Some time back, you commented on the work of Gavin Menzies, but not since his first book (unless I missed it). I gather Menzies and Sorenson have become friends, after a fashion, now that Menzies cites a lot of Sorenson's work in his latest two books. I'm just curious if you'd read anything more of his.
I'm definitely interested to dig into this book some time in the future, but getting your "Jeff's Notes" on it (trademark that term, fast) will definitely be nice while I'm waiting. Sorenson has given some truly amazing insights, and I love how unassuming he is with his writing. He writes comprehensive, compelling arguments that make it fairly difficult to disagree with what he's explaining.
Gimme Kindle edition free with the dead tree and I'll buy.
If not, I'll be forever stuck deciding which one to buy. Kindle means I'll get to read it, dead tree means I'll get to appreciate the maps and tables and feel of it.
Just one won't do, but $85 for the pair is yikes town.
This bundle might do but which ebook is it? Kindle or DB?
http://deseretbook.com/Mormons-Codex-John-L-Sorenson/i/k219627