Certainly Gardener could be considered revisionist, almost science fiction in places. That aside, his description of the events around the the crucifixion is certainly plausible, if not enlightening. This is especially true of his book, "Genesis of the Grail Kings." But the history of the Old Testament writings, in this book, was very interesting.

In the case of Thiering, she was at least to me enlightening. Unfortunately I have no knowledge what so ever of any of the ancient languages and have no real way of challenging or confirming her work.

As for living life versus reading about it, we all end up living it, it simply is a somewhat different era. In your era you are likely to see such things as the colonization of the Moon, answers to great questions of Physics and hopefully the solution to some of the Social ills of the World.

Think of the people that lived in the 12th Century who died in a World only slightly different from the world that they were born into. I started my working career at the dawn of the Space Age. My first real job was as a Jr. Mathematician doing orbital mechanics studies for the Martin Company. I was fortunate to be a part of the Space Program for first landings on the Moon.

I think that the era you and your contemporaries are living in will be will be very much more interesting!

Jake