THE SPIRIT OF ANCIENT EGYPT

The title is a bit misleading, as this is a social, rather than a spiritual, history; Canadian Egyptologist Ruiz's 33 short chapters deal with different aspects of ancient Egyptian life (e.g., "Dress and Jewelry," "Wigs and Cosmetics," "Festivals"). Although the range of topics is exhaustive, the detail of discussion is not—the book boasts neither index nor footnotes, and Ruiz's "Further Readings" section contains only nine items. And yet this lack of deep scholarly considerations is a strength, as it permits the author's fascinating narrative to flow unimpeded. Her account of the processes of mummification, for example, is clear and accurate, without needless complication. Her retelling of creation myths, her time line of the long-ago queens and her explanation of the fundamentals of Egyptian symbolism make this an excellent resource for those who know little about the ancient nation and want to begin to learn. Readers with a working knowledge of the culture will likely be surprised to see that the chapter on architecture is a mere eight pages or that the rich tradition of Egyptian art is dispatched in six. But they might also be surprised by some of the facts Ruiz offers up: an American Civil War–era paper manufacturer imported mummies to make paper inexpensively from the linen wrappings, and a gilded horsefly was a symbol of bravery in battle. Ruiz has made an extremely interesting culture accessible to the extremely casual reader. (Jan.)

Forecast:A stream of books on ancient Egypt are due this season (see, e.g., Decoding Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Forecasts, Oct. 29), no doubt thanks to the arrival of "Eternal Egypt," from the British Museum, which is in New York now and will later tour the country. This comprehensive primer should see solid sales.