The Future of the Past: How the Information Age Threatens to Destroy Our Cultural Heritage

Very interesting book on how different cultures approach preservation and/or veneration of their past, from Egypt (where academic archaeologists and Egyptian preservationists have to contend with wacky New Agers for the "real" story of the pyramids) to China and elsewhere. A lot of books like this are terrific magazine articles that don't pan out as full length books. (I don't know that this started out as a magazine article; it just reminds me of that sort of book.) But this one justifies its presence between hard covers. This is one of those books that I bought, gave away and then repurchased because I just had to have it in my library.

This book is a really wonderful series of essays--easy to read on there own, or straight through. They reveal the dilemmas and problems of cultural heritage, especially in the globalized era.

Strong recommend for this collection of in depth pieces examining various aspects of our past (languages, cultures, architectural treasures, animal species, documents etc.)which are threatened in one fashion or another by modern life. Carefully researched and beautifully written.

The essays in this book are just excellent. They will change the way you think about the world. Extremely well written and packed with information and insight.

Brilliant. The last chapter on the end of reading and the future of technology is compelling.

Mentions Fr. Reginald Foster, the Latinist-- cf his article in Wikipedia.

recensie van Bas Heijne:
http://www.nrcboeken.nl/recensie/nacht-in-de-kale-sarcofaag