In Sharan Newman’s book, The Real History of the End of the World, the author provides an array of historical and religious perspectives of how the world will end. Newman gives a brief overview of ideas about the end of the world, from Christian ideas of the Rapture to an ancient society’s calendar system to a hypothesized mass technological crash.
Newman divides her short anthology by the eras in which the stories or myths of the end of the world were created. The first part deals with the very first recordings of humankind asking questions about our existence on Earth.
The second part describes the ideas that arose within the first five centuries of the “common era.” In it we find examples arising from some of the first renditions of modern-day religion. These beliefs are explained within the context of the first Christians and the Yellow Turbans of China, for example.
In the third part, Newman shifts gears, discussing ideas that evolved in the Middle Ages, including the basis of the Mayan calendar, and the infamous 2012 prediction of the end of the world. Some of the details may surprise you.
Newman travels further through time, outlining both some well known and relatively unknown to the Western ear myths about the end of the world. The author discusses the stories that look at life on this planet as a circular process that only starts all over again, or as a linear process in which life as we know it will end.
Throughout the book, Newman lays out the distinct philosophical ideas era by era. She addresses Christian beliefs about Israel and the end of the world and John’s revelation and the vision of the end of the world that he reported that God showed him. She also covers the Christian Rapture, leaving all non-believers behind.
In this section, Newman suggests that believers take public transportation so that, in case the Rapture happens, the non-believers will be okay.
The author adds a little of her own humor to the stories of such a sullen topic. This is where the reader either praises her writing or finds it rather stale. The fusion of the subject matter and her style of humor can cause her jokes to fall flat from time to time. It’s never a good thing when you’re left wondering if something was meant to be a joke.
Another thing worth mentioning is when the author adds commentary such as “I think,” which takes away from her credibility. Although the book seems to be well researched, these comments are hard to ignore.
Newman deserves credit though, as she successfully covers a lot of ground. With such a wide range of content to deal with, she covers many societal and religious ideas of what will happen at the end of life on Earth.
If you’re feeling depressed or scared by the end of the book, thinking about what is to come or what will happen in 2012, you can take comfort when Newman provides you with some alternative scenarios that seem like a stretch. If you’re confused about who predicted what and when, just reference the handy-dandy chart in the back of the book.