What readers are saying:
"Dr. Donald P. Ryan serves up a plethora of fascinating and interesting tidbits of information encompassing all aspects of archaeology, clear explanations of technical jargon and the cultures of ancient civilizations in this concise and well written volume...Dr. Ryan has the knack of making ancient cultures "come alive"... in a broader sense. I also now feel that I have a better understanding of archaeological methods, techniques and "jargon" which will make delving through all those technical journals a much more pleasant experience!" L.C. Portland, Oregon
"This book is an excellent introduction and overview to the subjects of archaeology and ancient civilizations...Dr. Ryan, an expert in many areas of archaeology and ancient history, and an accomplished explorer, introduces the basics without condescension, and discusses more difficult or technical areas without losing his readers. Very well-written and a pleasure to read, and downright hilarious in places. Highly recommended!" J.W. Chesterton, Indiana
"Just a short note to say thankyou for writing your excellent book. Working as I do in teaching schoolchildren and adults about Archaeology and Egyptology, I have often found it difficult to find succint, sharp and easily understood explanations of complex arachaeological procedures and historical narratives. Your book does all of this and more." D.D. Dublin, Ireland
As reviewed by Brian Hunt in the Winter 1999/2000 issue of KMT: A Modern Journal of Egyptology:
"Archaeologist Donald Ryan has drawn from his several years of experience in archaeology conducted all over the world, to author one of the most accessible and entertaining books available on archaeology...Throughout his book Ryan is balanced and fair in his examination of various schools of thought in archaeology He often presents the facts in a manner that asks his readers to think for themselves, and to do more study before deciding the pros and cons of a particular theory The best part is that he does all of this with a great deal of humor The book is a fun read that never talks down, rather it gives readers much to think about. All along it's stuffed with great little facts and tidbits. It may be presented as an "idiot's" guide, but it doesn't read that way."
What readers are saying:
As reviewed by the Dallas Morning News:
" It doesn't take an idiot to figure out that these guides are informative, affordable library staples. With humor and a down-to-earth attitude, the author, an archaeologist and professor, gives readers digestible discussions and overviews of some of the most controversial topics of all time. Is Noah's ark a myth? did God really inspire the Bible? Just what is the Shroud of Turin anyway? Particulary interesting is part six, which covers lost, found and faked books of the Bible - the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Gospel of Thomas and an extra chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. If you haven't the time or comfort level to decipher large tomes of wordy articles from archaeology magazines, this is a handy, enjoyable source. Reading it will prepare almost anyone for dinner-party discusions about Mitcondrial Eve or Raiders of the Lost Ark."
"Anyone with an interest in the Bible will probably enjoy this book. I certainly did! The book presents the Bible as a vitally important and influential library of texts loaded with mystery and controversy. Some of the topics I personally found of interest were the search for Noah's Ark and the Ark of the Covenant, the story of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other controversial documents, and the interesting exposé of the Bible code phenomenon. The author takes on the more touchy subjects without being condescending or judgmental and I thoroughly appreciated the range of views presented including scientific and religious perspectives. Ryan's background as an archaeologist is clear through much of the book as he regularly incorporates archaeological evidence in the chapters. Before I read this book, my Bible knowledge was sketchy at best and now afterwards, I can say that my knowledge and interest in the Bible, archaeology and ancient documents has increased dramatically. I very highly recommend this very well written and often provocative book! " J.B., Washington
"Dr. Donald P. Ryan does it again with this, his second book in "The Complete Idiot's Guide" series (see "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Lost Civilizations"). Laid out in the typical format for this series, Dr. Ryan examines the most well-known biblical mysteries in a manner that is neither judgmental nor opinionated, leaving the reader to form his or her own opinion about the facts presented. Personally, I've always been challenged with understanding the meaning of the various stories in the Bible and was quite pleased to find that Dr. Ryan presents his information in a thorough, clear and concise manner. Covering the Bible from Genesis through Revelation, from lost books to sacred artifacts, Dr. Ryan educates and informs the reader in an entertaining manner with the most fascinating tidbits of information. I most highly recommend this book for both the casually interested reader as well as one who is quite familiar with biblical history. Reading this latest book of Dr. Ryan's has left me with a desire to learn yet more about this, the most published book on Earth, the Bible." LC, Oregon
What readers are saying:
As reviewed by John Adams in the Summer 2002 issue of KMT: A Modern Journal of Egyptology:
"Publication of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ancient Egypt provides further evidence of the increasing interest on the part of the general public in the subject. It also establishes Donald Ryan as the first great popularizer of Egyptology in the Twenty-first century.....Ryan has written an "Egyptology 101" primer which incorporates and amazing amount of information, a breezy style, an exhaustive overview of an immense subject, and a few jokes which work more often than not. It provides a comprehensive introduction to Egyptology which, which despite the growing number of popular works on the subject, has heretofore been lacking...it deserves an important place in any true Egyptophile's library for one simple reason: when a new acquaintance asks for "the best book to start with," Ryan's work unquestionably fills the bill."
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An Egyptological novel of adventure, mystery and social dysfunction.