This edition has been revised and updated to include a new preface and expanded bibliography (suggested reading) for those who find they want to further explore the topic. Although I suppose this book could be called a textbook, it would do Ms. Mertz a great disservice to bill it as such, since her writing is extraordinarily readable. Start at the beginning and read to the end, or feast your eyes on the topics that interest you. These subjects include such diverse and popular themes as Childbirth, Household Pets, Women, Clothing and Jewelry, Homes, Food and Entertainment, Education, The Army, The Arts, Magic and Religion, Astronomy, Boats, Medicine and much more. The second section of the book deals with "The World of the Dead."

Mind you, these are not stories of kings, queens, nobles, and princes. These are the stories of everyday Egyptians, living everyday lives. It is so remarkable to get this sense of the daily lives of ordinary people - lives that sometimes don't seem very different from our own. We are taken on an intimate journey into the existence of the regular folk, and in this journey, come away with a wonderful sense of this marvelous society. As with dinosaurs and kids, many adults worldwide have a fascination with anything Egyptian and this book does a perfect job of educating us painlessly and giving us fodder for our imaginations. Highly recommended. Enjoy!