Complete Idiot's Guide to Lost Civilizations

by Donald Ryan and Donald P. Ryan

Book Overview

Separating fact from fiction, this work shows the reader where to find the civilizations that have vanished or exist with only slight clues left among ruins. As well as stories of lost civilizations, it presents news on the latest and most exciting archaeological finds.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 002862954X
• ISBN13: 9780028629544
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Alpha Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Zero stars!

Save your money! Do not buy this item!!

Truly informative and enjoyable!

As one who has taught ancient history for many years, I'm always interested in finding books that will nicely supplement the usual texts and lectures. This book really fills a gap. It provides wonderful information on how archaeology works and I found that the summaries of the various world areas were quite competent...A lot of ancient history and archaeology is debatable and one can't expect the ins and outs of all the various arguments to be thoroughly discussed in detail in such a broad, general introduction as is typically found in the Idiot's Guides series. Ryan seems to have prudently taken the mainstream opinions in most cases and I found his special chapters on the controversial subjects to be very well-written...I'll just say that this is a really nice book which I can highly recommend and I hope it does well! - E.L.

An Outstanding Introduction!

I read about this book in the Bulletin of the Society for American Archaeology where it received a glowing review so I had to read it myself. It really is a great book and an outstanding general introduction to archaeology and ancient sites around the world. The author expertly summarizes a wide range of material and the text is not only informative, but typically fun to read! I was especially impressed by the way the author handled some of the more sensitive situations, such as "fringe" archaeology and his advice to would-be archaeologists is well-worth reading. I've read A LOT of archaeology books and this one is certainly a favorite. I'm presently reading Ryan's book on Biblical Mysteries and it's likewise terrific!

Got me interested in areas I didn't think very interesting

If you want a good entertaining view of Archaeology, check this book out. Dr Ryan's sense of humor and immense knowledge that I experienced while taking a couple classes by him at a local college, really comes out in his book. He gives the same amount of attention to all the major civilizations and also delves into what some of us may consider "kooky" areas of archaeology without being critical. For someone that may be interested in becoming an Archaeologist he tells you what to expect and where to go for information. Like I said in my title, I didn't really think Central and South American archaeology was very interesting but after reading this book, I'm rethinking that opinion.

A reference tool I will reach for time and time again.

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. While the format and presentation of material lends itself well to small infusions of highly educational, interesting and entertaining moments at one sitting, the author's writing style is so engaging that you anxiously await your next opportunity to dive into the next segment or chapter. Due to the enormity of the topic, space prevents a highly detailed presentation of any given ancient culture so the author kindly assists by providing a recommended reading list at the conclusion of the book for those yearning to learn even more. However, it is quite incredible just how much information Dr. Ryan has succeeding in presenting us with, given the confining space restrictions of this one volume.Dr. Ryan has the knack of making ancient cultures "come alive" and provides an awareness that ancient cultures were significantly more advanced than they have been given credit for and points out the technical, social and political "advances" made. My special area of interest happens to be the culture of Ancient Egypt however, after devouring Dr. Ryan's book, I am now most anxious to learn more about Ancient Egypt's neighboring civilizations and to learn more about "lost civilizations" 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!I was particularly impressed with the author's ability to cover the rather touchy topics of fringe archaeology, diffusion and isolation viewpoints and ethical dilemmas in a frank, candid and non-biased manner. He manages to pull all this off in a non-judgmental manner and encourages the reader to think for themselves based on the archaeological evidence at hand as well as keeping in mind that out of "fringe" archaeology may come a valuable piece of information. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with even a mild interest in archaeology and ancient civilizations.

excellent overview

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. He also deals fairly with those on the archaeological "fringe." A valuable part of the book is his advice to those who wish to pursue a career in archaeology. Very well-written and a pleasure to read, and downright hilarious in places. Highly recommended!