Ramon Sender Barayon (mailto://rabar@well.com) I've just taken a one-hour tour through the Firmage book. First part reads a lot like his childhood hero, Sagan. Second part gets into a thorough biography of Jesus -- well written, but haven't we read this before? Third part is an overview of UFO evidence, including the Majestic 12 documents that purport to be from the 1940s, with Truman's, Eisenhower's, etc. signatures -- or addresses. see http://www.thewordistruth.org/narr_article.cfm?id=765 ABout thirty pages of UFO reports through this century, followed by a lengthy analysis. At page 192 our author reviews how "a secret this big" could have been kept for so long,including a detailed look at how the OSS (WW II military intelligence) evolved into the CIA, and then how the NSA took over certain duties from the latter. And the NRO (National Reconnaisance Office) took over the development and maintenance of the spy satellites. Around page 204 he begins to delineate his basis hypothesis, that we earthlings have been taught and mentored by advanced extraterrestrials. He lists the 'seven graduation requirements' that a galactic civilization might require for planetary membership: 1) the ability of the species to act coherently. 2) to interact with advanced species without terror. 3) to understand new technologies such as gravitational propulsion, "overunity" vacuum energy sources (?), etc. 4) to use natural forces for only peaceful purposes. 5) to preserve all knowledge with fidelity and permanence. 6) to understand the vital role of religion (I would say 'spirituality') in human history. 7) to comprehend "the sacred nature of truth, love, wisdom, knowledge and the awesome creative power of intent." Part III (p. 211) begins to analyze how well we have fulfilled the seven graduation requirements. An anlysis of the failure of consumerism finishes with this quote: "The God of Society "I am attacking the God held in constant view by the investor: unbounded consumerism is no longer a sustainable institution, and it can no longer serve the interests of humanity. "Such a statement will be the equivalent of blasphemy to many. This fact is the single greatest clue that consumerism, its commandments of unrestrained growth, and its infrastructure on Wall Street have indeed become dangerously overpowering idols of Western society. "Why else would so many be fearful as I simply write and publish a book?" He then continues with a somewhat surreal (to me) overlaying of New Testament quotations with ET theories, and then moving on to Joseph Smith's mormonism (I gather the author had LDS ancestry). Part V, on page 247, is titled "The Truth," and begins with his description of the delight of flying a UFO-type vehicle: "The ship rises on artificial gravity, and floats like a leaf in a weightless pond of energy. You feel nothing. No acceleration. Within the field of warp propulsion, the energy of time is bent around the craft, to cause motion to occur with no inertial resistance. You literally fall towards your destination." The 'Conclusion' begins on p. 250. Here's a teaser. If anyone wants more, should I start a Firmage Truth topic? " Scientists are close to discovering the physical nature of consciousness, and that origin appears startlingly fundamental to the nature of the Cosmos itself. There appears to be a very basic truth to the concept that the Cosmos is collectively conscious, comprised of a seething potential out of which individual beings of reality have formed, everything "material" simply a pattern of energy in time, deeply interconnected into one macrosystem at a quantum level. This has direct implications for the veracity of the ancient concept of the soul, and to a vanishingly young ability in each of us to communicate telepathically and to use the power of intent to literally create reality with our minds. Physicists are also close to discovering the means to derive energy and gravitational propulsion from this same seething vacuum energy. Serious contemplation and study is due to frame with great care the use of these fundamental new abilities."