1493: How Europe's Discovery of the Americas Revolutionized Trade, Ecology and Life on Earth

A New York Times Notable Book
A TIME Magazine Best Book of the Year
A Washington Post Notable Book
Fascinating. . . . Lively. . . . A convincing explanation of why our world is the way it is.
-- The New York Times Book Review
Even the wisest readers will find many surprises here. . . . Like 1491, Mann's sequel will change worldviews.
-- San Francisco Chronicle
Exemplary in its union of meaningful fact with good storytelling, 1493 ranges across continents and centuries to explain how the world we inhabit came to be.
-- The Washington Post
Engaging . . . Mann deftly illuminates contradictions on a human scale: the blind violence and terror at Jamestown, the cruel exploitation of labor in the silver mines of Bolivia, the awe felt by Europeans upon first seeing a rubber ball bounce.
-- The New Yorker
Revelatory.
--Lev Grossman, Time Magazine
Compelling and eye-opening.
-- Publishers Weekly Top 100 Books of 2011
A book to celebrate. . . A bracingly persuasive counternarrative to the prevailing mythology about the historical significance of the 'discovery' of America. . . 1493 is rich in detail, analytically expansive and impossible to summarize. . . [Mann's book] deserves a prominent place among that very rare class of books that can make a difference in how we see the world, although it is neither a polemic nor a work of advocacy. Thoughtful, learned and respectful of its subject matter, 1493 is a splendid achievement.
-- The Oregonian
Despite his scope, Mann remains grounded in fascinating details. . . . Such technical insights enhance a very human story, told in lively and accessible prose.
-- Cleveland Plain-Dealer

Mann's excitement never flags as he tells his breathtaking story. . . There is grandeur in this view of the past that looks afresh at the different parts of the world and the parts each played in shaping