4 comments about Your Evil Twin: Behind the Identity Theft Epidemic.

1. Ignorance is not bliss - it only gives more time for identity thieves to ruin your life. I already own a shredder, to indulge my paranoia of having credit card applications and other personal information easily available to those with sinister intentions. This book confirms the need for the paranoia, but also points out how little control I have over "keeping" my own identity. This is a page-turner, flavored with stories of real people who have experienced identity theft, making it a very interesting read. This issue is huge, much more than someone trying to run up some charges on a credit card I have in my wallet. And what I found particularly shocking was how unwilling different institutions are to come up with solutions.



2. This book is all about a problem that simply didn't exist only a few years ago. Now it's become the fastest growing white collar crime in America. It strikes in every community from the smallest to the largest. The crime is profitable, nearly unpreventable, and hardly ever prosecuted (by one estimate only one out of every 700 incidents). It's the down side of the information super highway. Getting a bit of information about a person is easy, and then you can get a bit more. Soon you can buy a car in his name, get credit cards in his name, like the TV commercial, you're on the beach, your credit cards are in the airplane flying by.
   
   The book says, rightfully I believe, that you are basically on your own. The police don't seem to care, the credit card companies write off the loss and go on about their business. Just don't you try to ever use your credit again.
   
   The author is a leading expert on the subject, as well as being a senior writer at MSNBC. He knows how to write and he knows his subject, what more can you ask.



3. To begin with, I was terribly distracted by all the typographical/spelling and editing errors that ran rampant in this book. Why would anyone put a book out for sale that hasn't been proofread?
   
   But most of all, this book covers an extremely important subject, one of potential interest to just about everyone, and yet it was so shallow. I have been better informed about identity theft, what it is, what is being done about it, and what we can do if we are targeted as victims in local newspapers and in magazine articles. There was no discussion of many very common methods of identity theft, including observation of victims as they enter their ATM or telephone pin numbers and codes, inadvertantly leaving passwords and usernames on public computers, giving credit card numbers to untrustworthy websites, using credit cards in untrustworthy restaurants and stores, writing passwords in places others can easily access, being victimized by phishing schemes, etc. Each of these and many more are methods of identity theft easily avoided yet this book doesn't mention them.
   
   Even the anecdotes left me hanging for more detail, more of what happened and why. Instead, they rambled on disconnectedly and often had no beginnings nor conclusions. The organization of the book was sub-par, which accounted for much unnecessary repetition of minor details. This book simply screams for a better editor.



4. Much has been written about identity theft, and what people have to go through to clear their credit reports. But what I had never given much thought to is that identity theft goes much beyond stealing identities for financial gain. In fact, what is much more difficult to deal with is when your identity is stolen and used by criminals in general. Try to clear a supposed criminal record. And if you are in the United States, try to do that if you are black or Hispanic. That is just part of the excellent discussions you will find in Bob Sullivan's Your Evil Twin: Behind the Identity Theft Epidemic (August 2004, John Wiley & Sons, 314 Pages, ISBN 0471648108).
   
   A journalist by training, Sullivan presents an easy to read, if unsettling, narrative talking about different aspects of identity theft that do not often get discussed. Some of the material is material found in magazines and other journals, but the strength of this book is that it beings many different pieces into one place. Sullivan starts out by showing that no one is immune to identity theft, whether it be a CEO or even Eldrick "Tiger" Woods. He goes into some detail explaining who was taken advantage of and how, though he does not offer solutions for the problems.
   
   But this does not mean he is afraid to take on the real villains in identity theft, the credit card companies and retailers who push easy credit every chance they get. Sullivan makes the excellent point that the availability of easy credit is actually better for the bad guys than those who do the right thing. He also does not shy away from calling out the credit reporting agencies and their role in this problem. Why should they be charging people for "Credit report watches", when they helped create the problem? It was fascinating from a historical perspective to read how the three major credit reporting companies came to be. It is a heck of a trivia question to ask how a railroad fits into the scheme of things.
   
   You will, or at least should, find yourself challenged by the reality that the race factor plays in how victims are treated. Like it or not, we live in two Americas as clearly shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Discussions of this topic in the book really offer a time for reflection and thought in the area of identity theft.
   
   One should not expect this book to answer every possible question about identity theft, but should be considered as part of a larger library on data privacy and identity theft. It provides a human perspective that other titles on the subject often lack.
   
   Who Should Read This Book?
   
   This book, while not a "must read" would be of interest to people who want to explore more of the human side of identity theft and would like some additional historical/political perspective.
   
   The Scorecard
   
   Birdie on an average Par 4

5 comments about Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders.

1. This is better that Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie married and had a child. Pure power to the mind. All crimes must be paid for as this book revealsed. I hate being lied to since this book reveals the truth of all truth.



2. I bought this book for my wife, who is a Romantic Suspense writer. I did a keyword search looking for books on forgeries. This is the best book I have found if you want to learn about an example of this particular type of crime.



3. "Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders" is a very fine analysis of one of the most bizarre stories in Mormon history. It tells the story of the Salt Lake City bombings on 15 and 16 October 1985 that killed Steven F. Christensen and Kathleen B. Sheets and seriously injured Mark W. Hofmann.
   
   One of the scenarios developed during the period immediately following the deaths of Christensen and Sheets on 15 October, associated the bombings with high finance and the crumbling business empire of J. Gary Sheets, husband of Kathleen and former associate of Christensen. Sheets' business, CFS Financial Corporation, was in a well-publicized nose-dive. His investors and creditors were clamoring for repayment and Sheets was considering bankruptcy. Christensen had left CFS a few months earlier unhappy with the direction Sheets had charted for the company. Could Sheets have planted the bombs to collect insurance money on the victims or to keep them from talking about illicit business dealings? Could disgruntled investors have placed the bombs? No one knew.
   
   If this were true, it bore no relationship to the Mormon church. The monkey-wrench in this scenario was what appeared to be the attempted murder of Hofmann on the morning of 16 October. He was not associated with CFS in any way, but he had a business relationship with Christensen revolving around the discovery and sale of Mormon historical documents. Christensen had purchased from Hofmann the so-called "Salamander Letter" of Martin Harris to W.W. Phelps, which had been unveiled in a circus-like meeting of the Mormon History Association in May 1985. After Hofmann's bombing most of the speculation suggested that the murders were linked to that document and the study of Mormon origins.
   
   Dated 23 October 1830, this letter narrated a strikingly different story of Book of Mormon origins than most were familiar with from the standard faith story. It suggested that Joseph Smith was intimately involved in folk magic (one aspect of which involved a white salamander who guarded the gold plates) and money-digging, and that the Book of Mormon was simply one more instance of these practices. Moreover, the messenger who delivered the plates to Joseph bore little resemblance to the benevolent being traditionally associated with the story. Instead, he was a crusty and malicious spirit who jealously guarded the treasure. The document seemed to hold the potential to destroy the underpinnings of faith for many naive believers.
   
   The "Salamander Letter" appeared to be a connecting link between the victims in this scenario for the bombings. Christensen had acquired this document from Hofmann; Kathleen Sheets' husband, who seemed to have been the real target of the bomb in this scenario, had been a business associate of Christensen.
   
   Most Mormon historians dismissed as absurd charges made by police investigators within a few days after the bombings that Hofmann was the primary suspect in the murders and that he had cold-bloodedly murdered Christensen to cover up illegal business dealings and Sheets to make it look like the killings were CFS-related. His own injuries, they thought, coming a day after the first murders were the result of the accidental detonation of a third bomb intended for yet another victim. Mark Hofmann was the closest thing the Mormon historical community had to a genuine celebrity. As the discoverer of several overwhelmingly important Mormon documents, he was both nationally known and invariably well-liked. It seemed impossible that Hofmann was a forger and con-man par excellence who committed two grisly murders to stave off financial ruin and a public unmasking of his illegal business dealings.
   
   As it turned out, the police were right. Authors Sillitoe and Roberts describe how Hofmann had brutally murdered Christensen and Sheets and had injured himself while handling a third bomb in his car. He had committed murder to mask a complex array of white-collar crimes that extended back to his student days in the late 1970s at Utah State University. These crimes demonstrated a pattern of deceit and manipulation that was impressive in its size, scope, and length of time.
   
   The immediate causes of the murders, according to the authors, revolved around a complicated collection of documents worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, the McLellin Collection. William McLellin had been one of the original Twelve Apostles of 1835 but had left the church in 1838. Evidence suggests that he collected considerable material on the development of Mormonism. The McLellin Collection was fabled as a treasure trove of important historical materials, many of them damaging to the church's traditional view of history.
   
   In 1985 Hofmann claimed to have found the collection and borrowed huge sums--a $185,000 signature loan that Hugh Pinnock, a high-Mormon leader, had arranged in one instance--from several different people, each unknown to the other, for the purpose of acquiring it. In effect he sold the same collection to several different people. Hofmann did not produce the collection for any of his investors and during the fall of 1985 increasing pressure was bore on him to repay his creditors or to produce the collection. He staved them off for a time with some very slick tap-dancing and even secured backing for his bank loan by having Pinnock arrange for a wealthy Mormon to buy the collection from Hofmann and donate it to the church. The money obtained from this sale would not only pay back the $185,000 bank note but also provide Hofmann with a tidy profit.
   
   Christensen, who had dealt with Hofmann before, volunteered to serve as a middle man for the movement of the collection from Hofmann to the church. As such he became a key player when Hofmann defaulted on the $185,000 loan and Pinnock asked him to press Hofmann for settlement. Christiansen was persistent and Hofmann was increasingly unable to avoid his probes. The bombing of Christensen would buy him time since his main protagonist would be out the way, Hofmann thought; maybe the church would drop the matter entirely. The bombing of Sheets was a diversion that would make Christensen's murder appear CFS-related.
   
   The authors suggest that the 15 October murders did not dissuade the church from completing the transaction for the McLellin collection. In one of the most satisfying sections in the entire book they describe how Hofmann was informed after the Christensen and Sheets murders, which most people at first thought were CFS-related, that the deal was still on track and Christensen would be replaced by Donald Schmidt, the retired LDS Church Archivist. Desperate action was required, so Hofmann built a third bomb. The victim would be another decoy, this time one associated with Mormon document dealings.
   
   Brent Ashworth, a successful lawyer and businessman who also bought collectible documents, was the ideal target. He and Hofmann had been meeting most Wednesdays in Salt Lake City for years, 16 October was a Wednesday, and he could easily get him to accept a bomb wrapped in a package similar to the first two. Afterward, Hofmann believed, there would be no pressure to proceed with the McLellin deal. This time, theoretically, all of Hofmann's objectives would have been achieved. But Ashworth did not meet him in Salt Lake City on 16 October and the bomb accidentally detonated. Hofmann was seriously injured and the police investigators at the scene quickly found tell-tale clues implicating him in the bombings.
   
   The police pursued the leads discovered at the site of the third bomb to a logical conclusion and built a tremendously convincing circumstantial case against Hofmann. Although it took months, Hofmann was finally charged with the murders and several lesser crimes in February 1986. The evidence presented in the preliminary hearings thoroughly convinced Judge Paul Grant. According to the authors, "At the beginning of the preliminary hearing, Grant had thought perhaps Hofmann was innocent. But by the end, he thought him clearly guilty, a pathological liar with no conscience and no remorse" (p. 454). A plea bargain resulted, with Hofmann pleading guilty to certain of the charges and promising to answer questions about his operations in return for a commitment not to seek the death penalty.
   
   The authors of "Salamander" perform an admirable service by sketching in most of the details of the bombings, the document dealings, and the character of Mark Hofmann. They describe a man who was outwardedly a believing Latter-day Saint but who was motivated in his crimes by a lust for money and an opportunity to embarrass his church. Always gracefully and with a touch of pathos, the authors narrate the complex events leading up to the murders, the peculiar circumstances of the murder investigations, the discovery of the evidence incriminating Hofmann, and the legal fireworks surrounding the case.
   
   A forensic analysis by George J. Throckmorton, the technician who discovered the secret of the Hofmann forgeries, rounds out the volume and conclusively proves the illegitimate origins of 106 documents coming from the dealer, including all of his major finds.



4. Not remembering the alcohol plant mentioned in the quote in the following paragraph, I asked Allen Roberts, my friend and one of the authors of this book, as to what the reviewer was refering. Allen had no clue as there IS no alcohol plant mentioned anywhere in the book. Allen Roberts and Linda Sillitoe are people of high integrity and spent many, many, many hours doing meticulous research for this book so that an objective account of the events COULD be told. Either the following quote does not refer to this book, or the reviewer needs to read the book again.
   
   Don't believe everything you read!, January 8, 2001 Reviewer: A reader: "My family was involved with the alcohol plant in New Mexico that the authors of the book claimed never existed. I know it actually did exist, I was there. If the authors had done a minimum amount of research, they would have known it too. So this makes me wonder what else they got wrong. I tend to think there was a lot that really didn't fit together, so I'll keep searching for the truth. I hope everyone else does too."



5. When I found myself in Salt Lake City on business in the early '90s with an unexpected free day on my hands, I thought to use it for pleasure reading and was directed to the Deseret Book Store. It looked like a Barnes & Noble. I did not know it was in thrall to the Mormon Church.
   
   There, I asked a female clerk if there happened to have been any books written about a series of bombings I recalled reading about in the New York Times some years earlier. I was interested in knowing if the culprit had ever been captured and, if so, what had happened to him.
   
   She replied there were two books. "One is historical fact and the other is fiction," she said. "The fiction is pretty bad." At this, she actually wrinkled her nose as if the fiction had left a bad smell she could still detect.
   
   So I bought the 'historical' book she recommended. It was "Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders." Despite the turgid prose, jumpy time lines, and bucketfuls of shibboleths and cliches, I managed to wade through the whole thing in half a day. I found it crushingly dull, very poorly written, and at times completely impenetrable to a reader like me with little or no recollection of the actual case.
   
   "Salamander" suffers from many defects of writing, style, organization, sloppy editing, and negligent proof-reading -- but none so severe or nettlesome as the fact that it makes no narrative sense whatsoever. The largest mystery in reading this book became, for me, wondering over the seemingly indeterminable motives of quite a few of the key characters. Most of them abruptly drop in or fade out of the story like indifferent actors at a crowded theater audition where only bit parts are on offer.
   
   The next day, I happened to mention my frustration with the book to two friends who live in SLC. When they heard how I had come to read "Salamander" they howled with laughter.
   
   "That bookstore clerk steered you to the official Mormon Church version," one explained. "You'll never be able to understand what really happened until you read the other book -- the one she called fiction."
   
   They reminded me of the title of the book I should have read. It was "The Mormon Murders," written by Naifeh and Smith. I read it that night. It is superb.
   
   Naifeh and Smith lay out a clear, well-written, and compelling narrative of the murders. Not only do they explain and document all available evidence about the motives of the perpetrator and intentions of his victims, the total environment in which the killings were conducted, and the dramatic preliminary hearing, they also show the reader in detail how and why powerful political and religious forces were at play behind the scenes.
   
   In short, The Mormon Murders by Naifeh and Smith cleared up two mysteries I had encountered on my visit to Salt Lake City: the murder case itself and why the "Salamander" book I had just read was so atrocious.
   
   If you happen to collect books that are so notoriously bad they have become collector's items for that reason (some folk do, you know), go ahead and buy "Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders." But it's a waste of your time if you try to read it.

5 comments about A Gathering of Saints.

1. I am a lover of suspense books but I don't read them because when I do, I feel guilty, like it's a waste of time. I also love to study religion. When you mix the 2 together, you have an excellent book.
   Have you ever read a book that you speed read because it's so exciting yet at the same time, you try to read it as slow as possible because you don't want the book to end. This is that kind of book.
   Have you ever read a book that immediatly after you read it, you know for a fact that you will read it a few more times...this is that kind of book.
   Anyone interested in mormonism, or religion in general will love this book. (well maybe not mormons). Anyone who just loves a good page turner, will love this book.
   If the author of this book is reading this review, please turn this book intoa movie. I have read probably close to a thousand books, I'm sure. A book has to be real good to get on my top ten list.
   religion enthusiasts, this is the most exciting religious lesson you will get. take advantage of it. Oh by the way, another good book about mormonism is housewife to heretic by sonia johnson.



2. This book is based on the murderous actions of Mark Hoffman, and in this regard is fairly accurate. However, when it comes to the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), the Church's founding prophet Joseph Smith, and current Church leaders and doctrine, this book is slanted, twisted and just plain wrong. Its inaccuracies cause the book to end up being more fiction than fact. If you are really interested in learning the truth about the Mormon religion you should read The Book of Mormon, visit with some missionaries, and pray to know the truth. Reading this book is not the answer unless you wish to be misinformed.



3. Read The Mormon Murders: A True Story of Greed, Forgery, Deceit, and Death, by Naifeh. A well told, thoroughly researched book covering both Mark Hoffman as well as a study of the foundations of Mormonism. When I read reviews of books covering this story that say the treatment of the history or Mormonism is innacurate and to read the Book of Mormon for the truth, I have to laugh. The strange history and early beliefs of the Mormon religion are well known to be at best odd, or at worst cultish. Mark Hoffman, although a horrible murderer, scared the heck out of the LDS church hierarchy by forging documents from their dubious past.



4. This book, detailing the history of the Mark Hoffman case is very solidly researched. It does present, I believe, the history of Mormonism and the Hoffman case in a relatively balanced fashion without the sensationalism of the Naifeh book.

   To all those who wish to learn more of the "Tales of Hoffman", I can't reccommend this book enough.




5. This book should be read in conjunction with Under the Banner of Heaven : A Story of Violent Faith
   by Jon Krakauer. This book is a spell-binding story of an accomplished forger, Mark Hoffman, who turned to murder to cover his crimes. Hoffman even tells exactly how he was technically able to accomplish his feats. Lindsey did excellent reporting on this incredible story. But the bigger story is how the official LDS Church was willing to buy material from Hoffman that they thought to be true for the precise purpose of hiding it from public scrutiny. This willingness of high church officials to buy and hide information perceived to be true that might present a negative image of the LDS Church from both church and non-church members is amazing to me.

5 comments about Fake: Forgery, Lies, & eBay.

1. In the early heyday of ebay bidders flooded the site willing to buy nearly everything - among them art collectors who hoped to buy bargains and rarities from less educated listers. FAKE describes the actions of one Kenneth Walton, a lawyer who was not only seduced by an online con artist, but who become one himself. From his initial hobby as an online art-trading hobbyist to his entry into a world of fraud and selling fakes which would lead to a federal felony conviction, FAKE: HOW ONE MAN'S CON GAME CREATED AN INTERNATIONAL SCANDAL AND TRIGGERED A NATIONWIDE FBI HUNT tells of a hobby gone wrong and packs in all the detail and excitement of a true adventure read.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. I am a high end art collector at major auctions and have looked at ebay items up for sell. So many are obviously fakes that I have written to a couple of power sellers. They immediately threatened to sue me.
   
   However, that is not why I am writing this review. This is a story of someone who knew nothing about art but was slowly engulfed in a new world where profit opportunity was high and old rules no longer applied. The individual involved acted like a major corporation in slowly bending the rules until they no longer believed the old rules or thought they could not possible be caught.
   
   I think the story should be read by every corporate executive in America. It shows how easy it is to justify going 65 in a 55 zone and then occasionally speeding up to 85 when you think no one cares that you are going over the speed limit.
   
   It is also an inspirational tale. I am very impressed with the author and how he changed his life around.
   
   I would also recommend this book to anyone buying or selling on ebay. It is unbelievable how some of the items are marketed there. Ebay is not incented to police it to the degree they should. Buyer beware. At least for sure, I can tell you the art is not what you think it is!
   
   This is a fast read .. get it.



3. My son picked "Fake" for our mother/son book club. The boys are sixteen; the mothers work in a variety of professional fields. No one was bored. Everyone finished the book, which is unusual. Discussion was lively and wide-ranging, even with the author present. I asked and he came!
   
   Part of the charm of the book, the story and the man derives from our inherent hope that people can grow by surviving adversity, even self-made, or perhaps, especially self-made. Walton gives readers an engaging look at the California art scene and ebay, while allowing us to watch him decide what he will do next.
   
   If he writes another book, I'll definitely read it.



4. This "author" is a liar, a lawyer, and a snitch. If you think it couldn't get any worse it does: he thinks his writing is clever. Wait for his victim (Fetterman)'s book.



5. Someone had recommended this book to me as a "good read". really didn't even know why I bought the book as I thought reading about ebay would be totally boring. Well I was wrong. The book sat on a shelf at my home for 3 months before I even opened the cover. Couldn't sleep one night and picked the book and started to read. I honestly couldn't put it down until I had finished from cover to cover. It is a great story and well written by the author. Whether you don't care about art or even Ebay this is an interesting story written in such a way that you find yourself totally emersed in the deceptions of an art forger who gets caught and the story line of getting caught and punished in a court of law. This is a good read.

5 comments about Operation Bullpen.

1. Operation Bullpen illustrates in riveting detail just how a bunch of average schmoes stepped onto the slippery slope of crime, got hooked hard, and were never able to get out of it until the FBI managed to push them out. The portrayal of the FBI operation is facinating in its depiction of the agents as just regular working guys with the liabilities and weaknesses that most of us are prone to. One of the great episode sequences in the book is when the FBI agents begin to meet and interact with the forgery ring members. It's better than watching a nature show -- you get a perspective of human nature at work in the contest between good vs. bad, or at least in society's struggle between doing the right thing and doing the wrong thing, and it makes for an highly engrossing study.



2. Operation Bullpen is the true story of the high-flying national crime ring that forged the autographs of sports stars and celebrities and ripped off American consumers for more than $100 million, before being busted by a dramatic three-year FBI undercover investigation. Nelson conducted exclusive interviews with forgers, counterfeit dealers, and the FBI to piece together both sides of the drama. This is an often unbelievable, sometimes funny, and always interesting book about autographs and forgery.
   
   I was particularly fascinated by the story of Greg Marino, master forger. In order to get into the signing zone he'd smoke pot and often sit in front of the TV to work. Marino would consult real exemplar autographs that he and his cohorts had collected and carefully cataloged in a series of binders.
   
   After many years and hundreds of thousands of autographs, I was amazed that Marino could forge any sig just by looking once at the exemplar. The stories of Marino sitting in a comfortable chair with his signing arm propped up on pillows, stoned to the bone, and polishing off 400 sigs while watching a Yankees game on TV made my draw drop.
   
   The inside account of the three year undercover FBI sting operation brought the book together, making it feel like a thriller. We experience the ups and downs of individual agents assigned to the case, learn about wiretaps and hidden recording devices, and sit at the edge of our seat as the busts come down. Every serious autograph collector and dealer needs to read and understand the story of how the biggest forgery scam in American history.



3. Operation Bullpen is a great book for anyone who is interested in the collectables field. As a former card dealer I was even familiar with a few of the people involved.
   
   The author understand the collecting world. He talks about cards and autographs as an expert which is refreshing. All too often people write about the hobby but make glaring errors showing they really dont understand what they are writing about. This book is right on! This guy knows the hobby and it's players.
   
   It's a book that I so enjoyed reading that I rationed myself 25 pages here and 50 pages there. I stopped only because I wanted the experience to last and not be over too soon.
   
   It's all about fake autograph conartists and how they were captured . It's a must read for anyone who has purchased autographed items or is planning to in the future. Know your seller and the "how" or "where" your item was aquired!



4. This is an excellent book and one of those that you can devour in a single sitting. The author uses a nice style - switching back and forth from the good guys to the bad guys - and does a great job of character development (not that these characters needed much development!). You're left feeling a bit sorry for the bad guys and a little frustrated with the federales (for making so many mistakes and taking so long) - a nice balance. The interesting thing about this book is that it's not perfectly written from a technical sense - there are a number of obvious errors (names of famous people misspelled or wrong, facts that are off), but given the amateur nature of the whole operation, in the end, it actually ADDS to the experience. The criminals are VERY imperfect people doing a perfect con job, and the FBI and law enforcement types are "supposed to be perfect" but are far from it... so the somewhat crude nature of the writing absolutely fits. I collect sports memorabilia, mostly baseball cards, and I'll be taking extra caution after reading this. And I'll NEVER buy a third-party autograph, "certified" or not! Here's one reader hoping there's a "Bullpen 2" that tells us what happened to these people 5 years out or so...



5. This is a terrific story, chockful of Big Money and colorful characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

5 comments about History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1).

1. There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
   
   For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.



2. Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.



3. Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun (ie. closer), different tilt on its axis (ie. less than 23.5 degrees), different orbit (ie. more circular), different rotation (ie. in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different relative positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently from how we would today? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history or geography is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.



4. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RAZQNMXM4M9CL Has history been tampered with? Yes, it has! Did events and eras such as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Roman Empire , the Dark Ages, and the Renaissance, actually occur within a very different chronology from what we've been told? Yes, they certainly did!
   
   The history of humankind is both drastically shorter and dramatically different than generally presumed.
   
   Why is it so? On one hand, it was usual custom to justify the claims to title and land by age and ancestry, and on the other the court historians knew only too well how to please their masters. The so called universal classic world history is a pack of intricate lies for all events prior to the 16th century. World history as we learn it today was entirely fabricated in the 16th-18th centuries. It's likely that nobody told you before, but
   
   there is not a single piece of firm written evidence or artefact that is reliably and independently dated prior to the 11th century.
   
   Naturally, after what you've learned in school and university, you will not easily believe that the classical history of ancient Rome, Greece, Asia, Egypt, China, Japan, India, etc., is manifestly false.
   
   You will point accusing finger to the pyramids in Egypt, to the Coliseum in Rome and Great Wall of China etc., and claim, aren't they really ancient, thousands of years ancient? Well, there is no valid scientific proof that they are older than 1000 years!
   
   The oldest original written document that can be reliably dated belongs to the 11th century!
   
   New research asserts that Homo sapiens invented writing (including hieroglyphics) only 1000 years ago. Once invented, writing skills were immediately and irreversibly put to the use of ruling powers and science.
   
   The consensual chronology we live with was essentially crafted in the 16th century by the Jesuits.
   
   The world history was compiled from contradictory mix of innumerable copies of ancient Latin and Greek manuscripts and other irrefutable proofs delivered by late mediaeval astronomers that were cemented by the authority of writings of the Church Fathers.
   
   Early in life, we learn about ancient history. Children love the magical lessons of history - they are like fairy tales. Teachers recite breathtaking stories; very soon We learn by heart the names and deeds of brave warriors, wise philosophers, fabulous pharaohs, cunning high priests and greedy scribes.
   
   We learn of gigantic pyramids and sinister castles, kings and queens, dukes and barons, powerful heroes and beautiful ladies, emaciated saints and low-life traitors.
   
   Ancient history is based documents, manuscripts, printed books, paintings, monuments and artefacts - called primary sources.
   
   The problem is that neither these ancient documents, nor events described therein can be irrefutably dated, moreover they contradict each other for the most part.
   
   When a school textbook tells us that Genghis Khan in year X or Alexander in year Y, have each conquered half of the world, it means only that it is so said in some of the written sources.
   
   There are no answers to simple questions:
   
   When were these primary sources written?
   
   Where and by whom were these sources found?
   
   It is wrongly presumed that ancient and medieval chronicles, written by Genghis Khan's or Alexander the Great contemporaries and eyewitnesses, are readily available. Actually, only sources written hundreds or even thousands of years after the events are there, compiled mostly in the 16th 18th centuries, or even later.
   
   As a rule, these sources suffered considerable multiple manipulations, falsifications and distortions by editing. At the same time,
   
   innumerable originals of ancient documents under various pretexts were destroyed in Europe under various pretexts.
   
   The names of persons and geographical sites often changed meaning and location during the course of the centuries.
   
   Geographical locations became clearly defined on maps only with the advent of printing.
   
   This made possible the circulation of identical copies of the same map for purposes of the military, navigation, education and governance tasks.
   
   Historians from Oxford say: "hey, everybody knows that Julius Caesar lived in the first century B.C.
   
   `Julius Caesar' statement is only a point of view as
   
   there is simply no irrefutable documentary proof that Julius Caesar or any other great name of antiquity ever existed.
   
   Better than that - extremely rare sources that can be reliably dated back to the 10th-14th centuries A D, do not show the polished picture of classical history.
   
   They show a picture both contradictory and confusing.
   
   All methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts are erroneous:
   
   Radio-carbon C14 method produces dating with exactitude of plus minus 1500 years, therefore it is too crude for dating of events in historical timeframe!
   
   The Almagest tractate, which lies as corner stone contemporary chronology, compiled in the 2nd century A D by Ptolemy, the founding father of astronomy, contains astronomical data of 9th to 16th century!
   
   The Bronze Age,that has supposedly began 5000 years ago. Bronze is made of 90% copper and 10% tin, but the technology for tin extraction dates back to 14th century A D!.
   
   All eclipses contained in manuscripts, like Thucydides one, relating 'ancient' events have exclusively medieval dating. All horoscopes cut in stone or painted in Egyptian temples, like Dendera have exclusively early medieval dating solutions.
   
   Not quite what you have learned in school? Open your eyes, and, you will find sufficient proof to reach step by step the inevitable conclusion that the classical chronology is false and therefore, that the history of ancient and medieval world universally accepted today, is also false. Have a fresh outlook on everything said or printed about "ancient" and "enigmatic" Roman, Greek and Egyptian, medieval as well as all other "lost and found" civilizations.
   
   Antiquity and Dark Ages are phantoms invented in the 16th 18th and polished in 19th 20thcenturies. Human civilization is in fact barely 1000 years old!
   
   This book will change your perception of History forever!
   What if Ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt were invented during Renaissance?
   What if The Old Testament was a rendition of events of the Middle Ages?
   What if Jesus Christ was born in 1053 and crucified in 1086 AD?
   Sounds Unbelievable?
   Not after you've read "History: Fiction or Science?" by Anatoly Fomenko, the genius mathematician.
   Armed with astronomy and computers Anatoly Fomenko turns History into a rocket science.



5. The professional historians faint as prominent mathematician Doctor Fomenko et al research the known historical data and come to fairly controversial conclusions.
   
   For example, the English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. As the sign of recognition of the special role of the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.
   
   The Russian historians brand it as pseudoscience because Dr Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by over two centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called `Tartars and Mongols' were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a trilingual state and aspiring Global Empire with Arabic and Turkic spoken as freely as Russian.
   
   The ancient proto-Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities and the hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called `blood tax'). Their `invasions' were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion.
   
   Fomenko proves for a fact that official Russian history is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scholars brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs. Their ascension to the throne was the result of conspiracy, so they charged these German historians-imports with the noble mission of making Romanov's reign look legitimate.
   
   Dr Fomenko et al prove Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. These rulers represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate Godounovs and the ambitious Romanov upstarts.
   
   The European historians fume not only because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History but for asserting that all medieval European Kings and Princes were but breakaway vice-regents and vassals of the Global Empire who badly needed glorious and very `ancient' past in order to legitimize their new independence from the Empire.
   
   Dr Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one: the Ancient Rome: the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the 14th century A. D., the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, the Ancient Egypt: the pyramids of Giza become dated to the 11th to 14th century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global Empire, no less.
   
   The civilization of the `ancient'' Egypt is irrefutably dated to the 11th to 15th century A. D. following the breakthrough in decoding of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone and painted on the temple walls.
   
   Arabic historians may find some consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire as a part of the Global empire in the 15th - 17th century. The trouble is that this Empire was initially a proto-Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, but built in 1550-1557 A.D. by Sultan Suleiman according to Fomenko and Islam with all its key figures is datable to 15th 16th century A. D.!
   
   The Chinese historians are also an unhappy lot because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such history. Period. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the 17th 18th century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation.
   
   The Divinity excommunicates Dr Fomenko because the history of religions according to Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the 11th century and Jesus Christ ), Bacchic Christianity (11th to 12th century, before and after Jesus Christ), Jesus Christ Christianity (12th to 14th century) and its subsequent mutations (15th to 17th cy) into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on..; and The Old Testament written after the New Testament in xiv-xvi cy A.D., if you please! Everybody served? Saint Augustine was quite prescient when he said: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

2 comments about Fakes and Forgeries: The True Crime Stories of History's Greatest Deceptions: The Criminals, the Scams, and the Victims.

1. Overall this is an awesome book, it gives a brief history of the worlds most famous forgeries and fakes, from Art, money, and documents to religious and medical works, made by some very interesting and crafty people. I highly recommend this book, however if you are interested in one particular subject you may not like that its really brief on each subject, or if you are looking into a new line of work, this book doesn't exactly give you a "how to" on making your own money sorry, even still this book is a very interesting read.



2. The book is very well researched with lots of pictures, clear explanations and covers a lot of topics, my problem was that I was interested in painting forgeries and there are very little of this here. If your interest is forgeries and scams in general this is a good thing.

5 comments about The Medici Conspiracy: The Illicit Journey of Looted Antiquities-- From Italy's Tomb Raiders to the World's Greatest Museums.

1. The Medici Conspiracy by Peter Watson is an amazing account, thoroughly researched, beautifully written, with marvelous photographs. It is literally a fascinating mystery, revealed and solved. I applaud the Italians and commend Oscar White Muscarella for his life-long good fight.



2. Have been waiting for some time to read this book, and I really enjoyed it. Of course I like art-related mysteries and other stories anyway. I'll be looking for other titles by this author.



3. I give this book a definite four stars because it is a worthy representation of the story and gives the account of what happened with great zeal. The topic itself is fascinating. In my opinion, various Federal Art/Cultural Property Crime units would be well served by making this book mandatory reading for their agents. It stands as a clear insight into the dark realm of unlawful antiquities excavation, illicit smuggling and clandestine sale- an increasingly important issue in our "global economy" world where buyers and sellers can come together across oceans with little effort, and without regard to laws that may govern certain antiquities transactions.
   
   At times, it reads a bit choppy. A lot of this has to do with the fact that the authors were careful to include all pertinent data, instead of sacrificing the volume of fact for the sake of the story. I almost feel bad detracting a star for this, but if you're going to sell a book as a story rather than an academic study, I do believe certain concessions should be made for ease of reading.
   
   Nevertheless, still a great book, well worth purchasing. This book will probably become one of the classics on the topic of art smuggling and the attendant markets.



4. This book is a well written, well researched book about looted antiquities. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the subject, or anyone interested in looted art in general. If I have any complaint, it is that the book at times gives too much information, which slows down the pace of the narrative as the author reveals how the investigation of Medici, Robert Hecht, Robin Symes, Marion True, and others came to pass.



5. This book is fascinating and important reading for anyone interested in the intersections of the art world, commerce and crime. The Medici Conspiracy is not the most deftly written, and at times seems more like a very, very, very long newspaper story than a book. Yet in the end the sheer force of the information it compiles, with detail and comprehension of the larger picture, leads to confidence in its conclusion: It is impossible to build, in modern times, a great collection of quality antiquities without relying chiefly on, and feeding and sustaining, unlawful traffic in looted items. The archeological countries also are at fault: If you leave hugely valuable items in the ground, and don't invest in excavating them under secure, academically and legally sound conditions, it is inevitable that illicit looters will do it for you.

5 comments about A Nation of Counterfeiters: Capitalists, Con Men, and the Making of the United States.

1. Economics is not my forte and the history of economics is really not something that's going to get me excited, but this book was fascinating in its own right as it talked about counterfeiting as a method of which we came to a National Currency. Much like Freakanomics, this book explores an "underground" economy and brings it into the light to see how much it works in the context of the society at large.
   
   I did not know that a national currency wasn't available until the 1860s and that Andrew Jackson fought against it. Nor did I know that counterfeiting was a relative easy operation given the amount of bank notes circulating from various banks and various locations.
   
   As I said, this is not my chosen field of obsession. But if I read more by Stephen Mihm, it very well could be.



2. 'A Nation of Counterfeiters: Capitalists, Con Men, and the Making of the United States' was well written, entertaining, and a very enjoyable initial step into an entirely new subject.
   
   Everything in this book was new to me as I have never read or studied anything about this interesting facet of our history. Stephen Mihm did an amazing job with providing a stunning amount of detail without the reader feeling as if they were being overwhelmed by dry, uninteresting material. Who knew that I could be so fascinated by so much information that I never knew I would want to know? I can't say enough about a writer who can keep readers interested and entertained while providing a substantial education in history on an obscure subject.
   
   It must be obvious from the previous paragraph that I have never been comfortable with learning historical facts. Perhaps if more of my attempts at gaining knowledge had been made through books presented in this way, I would have enjoyed it more and certainly learned a great deal more.
   
   Even if you have never felt even a passing interest in the subject of the history of money in America or the characters who populated the years prior to the stabilization of our currency, I feel safe in saying, you will be more than interested after reading Mihm's introduction into the world of American money's colorful past.



3. In the beginning in North America there was wampum and buck skins and tobacco leaves. This book details our transition from those primitive beginnings to the paper money we recognize today.
   
   Unlike South and Central America, gold and silver was in very short supply; so short, in fact, that when banks did start issuing pieces of paper that were promises to redeem the paper for gold and silver, many of the banks did not actually have enough of the precious metals to redeem all the paper they'd issued.
   
   Promises to pay are as old as civilization and counterfeiting probably is too, but the counterfeiting culture that arose in the first half of the 19th century must surely rank with the most extravagant. By 1850 hundreds of banks were issuing paper money and less than half had the precious metal reserves to back it. Some banks had no reserves at all: counterfeit banks. Then there were the real counterfeiters, issuing fake notes in imitation of the good banks and bad banks.
   
   Nation of Counterfeiters tells the tale of these operators who either served or exploited the public, depending on one's point of view . It puts one in the shoes of people who had to try to pay for things with questionable money, as well as of a merchant who had to decide every day, several times a day, whether to accept a slip of "money". The question came down to confidence. Oftentimes counterfeit notes were more skillfully executed than real ones, and so inspired more confidence, and confidence was the real coin of the realm. What good was a real bank note if you could not pass it on to someone else? One would rather have a counterfeit that inspired confidence, than a genuine note that no one would accept.
   
   It took surprisingly long to adopt what seems to us now the obvious solution: government fiat money. From 1800 to the middle of the Civil War money was supplied to a great extent by phony bankers and real counterfeiters--a period of over 60 years. This book is an impressive recreation of the era, not just the bankers and politicians, but also the desperately poor people who found illicit employment passing the notes (shoving, as it was known). Chapter Five is especially good, depicting a host of small time operators reminiscent of the characters of Oliver Twist: the comely young woman who sways the jury with her tears; the well-dressed gent who skips town on a riverboat; the prostitute trying to spend her hard-earned cash.
   
   All in all, a bright light shone on a dark period in the growth of the money system which has been preeminent for nearly a century.



4. The research that must have gone into this book is staggering to think of. But here at your fingertips is everything you ever wanted to know about the history of currency in the United States. As our money continues to evolve (Anyone else think those new purple fives look like high-octane monopoly money?) the time has never been more ripe to take a look back at where it all started, and see how it has effected our society on both economic and personal levels. The photos provided of the money bring it all to life for you, as does Mr. Mihm impressive ability to breathe life into cold hard historical facts. I am a lover of history, yet I do not generally read nonfiction. I found that this book satisfied me both on a historical level, in the sense that I felt myself *learning* the entire time I read it, and on a personal level. I never felt that cold detachment that often comes with reading nonfiction selections. I couldn't recommend this more highly to anyone who has ever looked down at their money and wondered about its journey. This book is a journey in itself.



5. I love to read books about the U.S. Civil War but I was initially a little concerned that I would not enjoy "A Nation of Counterfeiters...," since the subject seemed to be a bit dry. I am happy to say I was wrong. Stephen Mihm, a professor of history at the University of Georgia, authored a very interesting and entertaining story of the United States before the Federal government put into place a national monetary system.
   Back before the Federal government printed money, counterfeiters and others of dubious distinction took advantage of the fact that regional banks printed dollars. The fact that the system was totally unregulated means the counterfeiters had a field day, and Mihm details the stories of several characters and charlatans, bringing their story to life in a very vivid and entertaining manner.
   
   As counterfeiting technology improved up until the years leading up to the Civil War, these con artists took advantage of the system and printed dollars that look amazingly similar to the dollars that were being printed at the time by the regional banks.
   
   The book has plenty of illustrations, and Mihm does a great job providing backstories to some of the books main characters. If you are a student of history, or if you would just like to read an interesting account of the monetary system of pre Civil War America, then I would highly recommend this book.

5 comments about The Mormon Murders.

1. I've always wondered what goes on behind the closed doors of this religion and while I may not ever know it all, this book made me really think.
   
   The book gives so much "insight" intot he Church and the way it operates and hides it's behaviour. If you've ever been curious about the Mormon Church, have a read!



2. The book by Lindsey, A Gathering of Saints was written in 1991, and it is the exact same story. A new book should have something new in it. NN



3. This is a very detailed story of the infamous Mormon Murders case, wherein a fraudulent dealer in rare documents decided to kill off everyone who might reveal his deceptions.
   
   Delves deeply into the daily routine and hierarchy of the Mormon Church. Does not whitewash anything. Also highlights the mountain of evidence against the murderer. Blends the elements of the criminal case with the culture that surrounds it.
   
   This book will shock people and educate them as well.



4. While I'm already familiar with the story of Mark Hofmann and his horrific acts of coldblooded violence, I was quite surprised at how fascinating this book is in retelling the story of his forgeries and murders, along with the gripping tales of the people (good and evil) who were involved. I originally picked up this book because I have some extremely close relatives who are related to Hofmann (thank God, I'm not) - through a polygamous marriage, no less. Furthermore, I have first-hand experience with the deceit and outright evils of the mormonism: in fact, one of the shysters (the direct descendant of Joseph Smith) mentioned in this book is now a divorce attorney who specializes in ripping families apart (although he doesn't resort to bombings, like Hofmann) - so much for mormon propaganda about the "importance" of families.
   
   Interestingly, the evil propagated by some of the very highest monsters of mormondom, especially that of their current false prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, who were intentionally trying to cover up their role in purchasing so many of Hofmann's forged documents, is very clearly highlighted by the "Mormon Murders." This book provides a riveting look at the extraordinary efforts the cult of mormonism will go to in order to hide reality and reveals that they literally attempted to minimize murder in order to prevent Hinckley from testifying before a court of law (which would have, again, revealed what an evil liar he is), as well as to prevent damage control to their false religion. "The Mormon Murders" very lucidly paints a ghastly picture regarding the fact that the cult would rather hide behind their false tenets than to care about innocent people who are blown to bits by a crazed individual.
   
   As with all good books on the cult, The Mormon Murders reveals a large number of questions which any sane person should be able to answer; these include:
   
   If mormonism isn't based upon occult practices and magic, why were they so eager to acquire Hofmann's forged documents?
   
   Like Joseph Smith and the parade of false prophets after him, why didn't god (who is not the God of real Christians) reveal to "prophet" Gordon B. Hinckley, that Hofmann's documents were fakes?
   
   Why did the cult strenuously act to acquire and then hide these false documents in their secret vault?
   
   Fortunately, Hofmann, Hinckley, and so many others will be in for a big surprise when they finally get to meet another evil charlatan, Joseph Smith. Instead of becoming gods of their own planet, they'll certainly enjoy the very warm place set aside just for them.



5. This is an excellent book which exposes the complete abuse of power that was demonstrated by the Mormon Church in this tale of forgery, murder and obstruction of justice.
   
   I relied heavily on this book when I used this event in history as an application chapter in my own book "When Salt Lake City Calls." Steven and Gregory did their work well and pull together a huge amount of information into a very readable account of this ugly event of American history. This book is must read for those who wish to know about the Corporation called the Mormon Church.