First published in French in 1996; this second edition of First Civilizations has been expanded and updated offering an up-to-date overview of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Geared towards students new to the subject; the readable text and abundant illustrations offer a basic guide to the history of these two civilisations with discussion of other topics such as religion; science and medicine.
#3803717 in Books The Sumeru Press Inc. 2011-05-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x .60 x 5.98l; .87 #File Name: 1896559093266 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. could be betterBy TCM MomAs a practicing Buddhist; I have seen Dr. Prebish's name from afar and admired the many ways he has made Buddhist material available; especially online. I came to the book open minded; not expecting a primer on Buddhist teachings; so I have not been disappointed in that respect. There are a few insights into Dr. Prebish's own journey; incidents that he clearly found helpful and I did too. It also contains insights into the world of academia that I was not aware of. At the same time; I share the criticisms of many other reviewers; that parts desperately need editing with syntax and grammar errors I would not expect from Dr. Prebish. Other parts are repetitions; as if the copy/paste mechanism were employed without checking. There is a lot of 'I met' and 'I spent time with' that is really not reflective or revealing of Dr. Prebish's life or work. I got to the point that I was no longer carefully reading and just skimmed because I just didn't care. That's a sad reflection on a life of good work.7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. More autobiography than reflections on American Buddhist lifeBy LakeforestswThe author is clearly an impressive academic with a large number of distinguished publications. The book is more an autobiography of the author; his issues with the academic life (getting tenure and full professorship); reflections on his pets/family; and general reflections on the structural growth of the American Buddhist commmunity. The book has very little personal reflection on Buddhism - the author was in a community where he viewed himself as the only Buddhist; so he was not apparently involved in any local community. The book does constitute an impressive catalog of all the author's publications but little insight into the progression of publications; their relationship to each other. The book seems targeted at the Buddhist community members who are knowledgeable about the author.5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Not Helpful for Spiritual TrainingBy CustomerThis book is strictly the memoir of Prebish; and contains little to nothing of value for someone looking to learn about Buddhism. The story isn't even useful as a biography of a Buddhist. Though Prebish repeatedly claims to have been a practicing Buddhist throughout his academic career; nothing of his spiritual path is elucidated in this book. Any wisdom he gained from his practice is not brought forth to help the reader along his/her path. Overall the book feels like a defense of his own admitted 'prickly' and difficult personality. Not much of value here for the seeker. The book has a small value for those interested in the academic side of Western Buddhism; and how Buddhist scholarship is performed; thus a second star.
