Review by Beautyandtheblog -- Roadmap to the End of Days
Posted: 02 Jun 2017, 09:11
[Following is a volunteer review of "Roadmap to the End of Days" by Daniel Friedmann.]
3 out of 4 stars
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This is not normally the type of book I would pick up at the store and read. I would pick it up to read the back cover, mull over the subject matter in my head and flip the book open a few times to skim the pages before ultimately putting it back on the shelf and walking away from it, deciding that this is just another crack pot conspiracy theorist at work. I would think about the religious aspects that I found inside the few pages I took the time to glance over and wonder why anyone would want to bore themselves with the same old Bible stories we heard as children at Sunday school. I would picture the author standing on a rock before a crowd of people, holding this book up high and screaming about how the End of Days is coming. I would judge. I would walk into the Fiction section, pick up something that requires little to no brain power and go about my day without giving it a second thought. This time was different.
In Roadmap to the End of Days, Daniel Friedmann takes us on a historical and Biblical journey through time to see how past events allows us to see a pattern that, in turn, forecasts the End of Days. Through religious documents, such as the Torah and Talmud, as well as several diagrams and tables Friedmann has included in this book we learn about how each event in history is tied to another. We learn that there is a Divine Plan and that every event is preconceived. Everything happens for a reason, right?
I decided to take the chance and read this book because it was out of my comfort zone. I wanted the opportunity to take a subject matter that I have always found interesting but wouldn’t normally grab on my own. My main concern was that this book would be very preachy as I find a lot of books around religion are, but I didn’t find that at all in Roadmap to the End of Days. To be honest, I found the book read quite like a textbook I would expect in school. There were a lot of references back to previous chapters as well as diagrams and appendices that were quite helpful when trying to follow what Friedmann was saying. That being said, I was happy there was no test at the end because there was just so much information to take in it is very easy to get confused with the theories.
I think the main issue I had with this book is that no matter how much I tried, I could not find the pattern Friedmann so often spoke of. I tried to follow his diagrams and timelines in attempt to make some type of sense in his connections but I just couldn’t. I don’t understand how each period of times fits in with the Divine Plan. If everything is truly set from Creation to follow this plan and timeline of events, why does our free will have so much of an effect? How do we judge what events in history are our Critical Periods in concluding this Divine Plan? Is there a pattern throughout history that is leading us to the End or has Friedmann simply found events in time that he can use to support his theory? Should we believe because it is true or do we believe because we choose to?
After a lot of thought, I’m giving this a 3 out of 4 stars. It was not easy to come to this. I went back and forth several times before deciding. Was I able to follow Friedmann’s logic in determining the pattern to forecast the End of Days? No. Do I agree with his point of view on the existence of this pattern and using it to hasten the End of Days? Not really. Do I have the religious background to support my opinion on why I don’t agree? Absolutely not. But is his writing clear and concise? Has great care and research been made before writing these theories down? Would I recommend Roadmap to the End of Days to anyone who has serious interest in studying this subject and learning more about another’s perspective? The answer to all these is a resounding YES! It may not be for me, but it is still a very well-written and thought provoking read. Maybe I’ll grab the remainder of the series and see if it helps me understand better. I do, however, suggest picking up the physical print instead f Kindle. Since almost half the book is Appendices, it would greatly help in referencing back.
******
Roadmap to the End of Days
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
This is not normally the type of book I would pick up at the store and read. I would pick it up to read the back cover, mull over the subject matter in my head and flip the book open a few times to skim the pages before ultimately putting it back on the shelf and walking away from it, deciding that this is just another crack pot conspiracy theorist at work. I would think about the religious aspects that I found inside the few pages I took the time to glance over and wonder why anyone would want to bore themselves with the same old Bible stories we heard as children at Sunday school. I would picture the author standing on a rock before a crowd of people, holding this book up high and screaming about how the End of Days is coming. I would judge. I would walk into the Fiction section, pick up something that requires little to no brain power and go about my day without giving it a second thought. This time was different.
In Roadmap to the End of Days, Daniel Friedmann takes us on a historical and Biblical journey through time to see how past events allows us to see a pattern that, in turn, forecasts the End of Days. Through religious documents, such as the Torah and Talmud, as well as several diagrams and tables Friedmann has included in this book we learn about how each event in history is tied to another. We learn that there is a Divine Plan and that every event is preconceived. Everything happens for a reason, right?
I decided to take the chance and read this book because it was out of my comfort zone. I wanted the opportunity to take a subject matter that I have always found interesting but wouldn’t normally grab on my own. My main concern was that this book would be very preachy as I find a lot of books around religion are, but I didn’t find that at all in Roadmap to the End of Days. To be honest, I found the book read quite like a textbook I would expect in school. There were a lot of references back to previous chapters as well as diagrams and appendices that were quite helpful when trying to follow what Friedmann was saying. That being said, I was happy there was no test at the end because there was just so much information to take in it is very easy to get confused with the theories.
I think the main issue I had with this book is that no matter how much I tried, I could not find the pattern Friedmann so often spoke of. I tried to follow his diagrams and timelines in attempt to make some type of sense in his connections but I just couldn’t. I don’t understand how each period of times fits in with the Divine Plan. If everything is truly set from Creation to follow this plan and timeline of events, why does our free will have so much of an effect? How do we judge what events in history are our Critical Periods in concluding this Divine Plan? Is there a pattern throughout history that is leading us to the End or has Friedmann simply found events in time that he can use to support his theory? Should we believe because it is true or do we believe because we choose to?
After a lot of thought, I’m giving this a 3 out of 4 stars. It was not easy to come to this. I went back and forth several times before deciding. Was I able to follow Friedmann’s logic in determining the pattern to forecast the End of Days? No. Do I agree with his point of view on the existence of this pattern and using it to hasten the End of Days? Not really. Do I have the religious background to support my opinion on why I don’t agree? Absolutely not. But is his writing clear and concise? Has great care and research been made before writing these theories down? Would I recommend Roadmap to the End of Days to anyone who has serious interest in studying this subject and learning more about another’s perspective? The answer to all these is a resounding YES! It may not be for me, but it is still a very well-written and thought provoking read. Maybe I’ll grab the remainder of the series and see if it helps me understand better. I do, however, suggest picking up the physical print instead f Kindle. Since almost half the book is Appendices, it would greatly help in referencing back.
******
Roadmap to the End of Days
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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