AUTHOR LISTING

Reviewed by Francesca: The book presents a variety of Egyptian plants (grains, oils, fruits, vegetables) and animals (cattle, donkeys, camels, cats, dogs, monkeys, birds, bees). The authors cover the origins of agriculture and of the plants, as well as the evidence of those found in Egypt. They also discuss breeds of animals. A concise bibliography is provided for those wishing to consult for further information; this is an excellent reference to have handy.

Reviewed by Francesca: Historians have shown that fish has always played a great part in Egyptian life. This book explores in detail the importance of fish, its economic, artistic and religious significance as well as fishing tools, methods and techniques. It also describes and illustrated 20 types of fish known to the Ancient Egyptians. This is an excellent book for archeologists to identify fish bones.

From the publisher's website: Lavishly illustrated, this book combines the latest scientific material with a cultural history to tell the developing story of the inter-relationship between man and dog from its origin in remote antiquity to that which we know today.

From Booklist:A specialist on Egyptian mummies, Brier relates that he receives many a missive purporting to have solved the mystery of the Great Pyramid’s construction. In one day’s e-mail, a plausible idea caught his fancy. Unlike theories that aliens lent Egyptians a helping hand, this message dwelt on the central engineering problem concerning the type of ramp the tomb’s architect used. Brier’s communication came from coauthor Houdin, a French architect who devoted years to studying the problem. Rather than immediately bowl readers over with Houdin’s proposal, Brier cleverly entices them by alternating Houdin’s quest with the trial-and-error development of pharaonic pyramids. Photos and computer-generated graphics illustrate the authors’ explanation of designs and building processes, in the course of which they describe defects in the theories that the ramp was a mile-long straightaway or an external corkscrew. Houdin adopted an inspiration of his father’s, that the ramp was indeed a corkscrew, but one that rested inside the pyramid. His search for supporting evidence, culminating in a public presentation of his theory in 2007, fills out a book to fascinate pyramid fans.

From the book cover: A world-wide survey of the eating and drinking habits of early peoples, [this book] covers a broad geographical range, from the early populations of Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Americas to the more familiar Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, and Roman worlds. From meat, insects, vegetables, and fruits to cooking oils and beverages, each source of sustenance is described in terms of who consumed it, how it was prepared, and how it spread from its region of origin.