One of the most popular series on The History Channel is "Digging for the Truth", in which host Josh Bernstein takes viewers to famous archaeological sites all over the world. In this book of the same name, Bernstein takes us beyond what we see on the show and into the actual process of filming these productions, as well as his own background and how he came to be the host of such an ambitious television program.
Bernstein, who is also the president of the Boulder Outdoor Survival School, talks about his life from the very moment of his birth, through all the experiences that led him to host "Digging for the Truth", and then on to the specifics of filming the episodes themselves. Although he stops short of calling himself a real-life Indiana Jones, he definitely presents himself that way and intersperses the book with sidebars about what he wears (and where he bought it!), what he packs, his medical kit, and other intimate details. By the end of the book and the show's third season, he is also quite frank about the physical toll the show has taken on him and how his health has suffered, which may be why the Fall 2007 season of "Digging for the Truth" features a new host.
The book talks about many of the locations where episodes have been filmed -- such as the pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge, and Easter Island -- and there are tidbits of historical and archaeological information about them as well as photographs. Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a book about those archaeological sites. It's a book about filming the series and about Josh Bernstein, and the history and archaeology are secondary. Even the photographs often seem like carefully staged publicity shots for the show. If you're interested in how a show like this is created, then you'll find the wealth of production details interesting, but if you'd rather learn about the places instead of the show's host, then you'll want to look elsewhere.
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