The 2012 Story

A timely message from 2012 pioneer John Major Jenkins:

Guess What?

There is ZERO evidence that the ancient Maya predicted the end of the world in 2012.

The Maya calendar does not END in 2012.

DOOMSDAY-2012 is a fallacious construct,: a projection of exploitative and underinformed writers and Western nihilistic fantasy.

A huge publicity campaign has begun for Hollywood's 2012 catastrophe movie, to open November 13, 2009.

Is this Hollywood appropriation of 2012 mere harmless entertainment?

At the very least, this entertainment comes at a price, and that is:

The complete and utter misrepresentation of what 2012 meant to the creators of the 2012 calendar.

I write about this in my new book, The 2012 Story.

The 2012 Story: The Myths, Fallacies, and Truth Behind the Most Intriguing Date in History

by John Major Jenkins

From the Introduction:

Because of its curious crescendo in our immediate future, and therefore unlike any other topic, 2012ology ("twentytwelveology") has been growing exponentially with a unique set of issues and attractions. The accelerating growth of interest in the public arena is driven primarily by urgent doomsday scenarios spun out by the mainstream media and opportunistic writers. And yet the date is not simple a newfangled gadget invented by the marketplace. It is, in fact, a true artifact of the authentic Maya calendar, which has suffered cut-and-paste cosmologizing of wannabe wizards, pocket-protector prophets, and celebrity showmen. This heady stew is all stirred up in the Google cauldron, making a dangerous potion for the unsuspecting newcomer. As you step into this ever-shifting discussion, it will be helpful to have some historical background and a guiding survey of who has been saying what. This is part of what this book offers.

Reviews

"By far the best and most authoritative guide to the 2012 phenomenon. I doubt it will be followed by anything better."
—Richard Smoley, Quest magazine

"One of the most popular authors in the 2012 category, [John Major Jenkins] helped usher in this craze."
-Lisa Miller, Newsweek

"As much as Jenkins has made a place for himself in the 2012 discussion through his independent research on the Maya and precession, he has made an even greater impact by applying academic rigor to the theories of his contemporaries and exposing...their inconsistencies with established Mayanist scholarship."
—Benjamin Anastas, The New York Times Magazine

"The most global and erudite voice of a swelling chorus of Galactic Center theorists. By framing the subject in the context of the Primordial Tradition, he raises it to a new level of seriousness and of reassurance."
—Joscelyn Godwin, Colgate University

"A fascinating journey through the history of the ancient Maya...Combining impeccable scholarship with incisive critical intellect, the author dispels the misconceptions and sensational speculations."
—Stanislav Grof, M.D., author of Psychology of the Future

Critique