Title: Clever format
Review: This book is essentially a summary of various cultural achievements of the Sumerians, listed as "39 firsts" in human history. It is not a chronological history of Sumer, so this book is more of a supplement to one's studies in ancient near east. The book covers little known aspects of Sumerian culture, like education ("1st Apple polishing"), sex ("1st Sexual Symbolism") and possibly even pets ("1st Animal Fables", "1st Aquarium"), as well as the facets that are well known--Gilgamesh, Utnaptishtim, Sargon, ect. The key theme that arises from this book is how civilized the ancients were--these were not clueless barbarians roaming the Mesopotamian plains, they were not idiots, but thoughtful people who tried to make sense out of their (oftentimes chaotic) lot in life. A good companion to the library of any ancient-history-ophile.
Is this product review negative?