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"1491" is destined to become a much-debated history of pre-Columbian America. Already being called "revisionist" by some and "revolutionary" by others, it certainly is not "your father's history of Native Americans" (who were called "Indians" by your father's generation, anyway). Those who complain of scant primary support don't understand historiography of pre-historic history. By it's very nature and name, the historian of such societies much rely on more ancillary research and documentation. Mann does so by culling the results from diverse fields such as archaeology, anthropology, sociology, and paleolinguistics. His most fascinating and likely most provable hypothesis results from first-hand accounts from the first Europeans of their first encounters--encounters with people they considered their equals. From this information and copious additional research, Mann hypothesizes that the "American" continents were richly populated with culturally enriched societies that were killed off by diseases before later Europeans could document their existence. Reviewer: Robert W. Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Soul Physicians" and "Spiritual Friends," and of the forthcoming "Beyond the Suffering: The Story of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."