The Mayans mysteriously developed a calendar and a "universe-view" that was extraordinary given the time period in which the society existed (400 BC to 100 AD). The priest class that developed the calendar and the prophecies apparently walked into the jungles and disappeared at the end of the Mayan period.

While the Mayan people are still in evidence in terms of the physiology of the peoples of their historical lands, the society itself has disappeared and died away.

Now, as we close in on this date in time, scholars are writing articles and studying even more keenly the calendar and the significance of the Mayan prophecies.

No one truly knows what will happen on this date, or even if something will. It does seem that given the unusual ability of the Mayans to create a calendar and develop their unique view, it is highly possible that something amazing will happen.

That something could be anything from the end of the world, the changing of the magnetic poles, to the opening of a new cosmic awareness.

This book compiles essays and articles by all the various "experts" about the Mayan calendar and this mystical date.

The essays are generally interesting, but at times the information becomes repetitive, and personally I tired of having everyone declare how many years, decades, whatever, they had spent studying this. It seemed that each one wanted to be THE expert the reader believed.

Occasionally the material and diagrams became dense enough to cause me to scan, and sometimes the information seemed to be a tad of the "out of left field" sort.

However, if you really want to know what all the various ideas and theories are about this upcoming date, this is definitely the book to read. The author has left no stone unturned, either literally or metaphorically.