- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: The American University in Cairo Press (31 Mar 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 977424785X
- ISBN-13: 978-9774247859
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 15.5 x 1.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
1,018,640 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #69 in Books > Science & Nature > Earth Sciences & Geography > Geology > Historical Geology
- #74 in Books > Science & Nature > Earth Sciences & Geography > Earth History
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Synopsis
Egypt is primarily a land of deserts and mountains, the habitable Nile Valley and Delta occupying less than five per cent of the country. Although the ancient Egyptians lived on only a small fraction of the land, they made extensive use of resources from the less hospitable areas, exploiting the opportunities and adjusting to the constraints of their physical environment. This work describes these features and more, providing a guide for the traveller to Egypt interested in learning about its history from a different perspective. The guidebook presumes no background in geology or related fields and provides an introduction to the relevant geological concepts, presenting examples to illustrate how the country's geological features influenced Egyptian civilization. Most examples are selected from the pharaonic period and Greco-Roman period, though many cases also illustrate how geological factors continue to have an impact on modern Egyptian society. The text is organized as a trip on the Nile from Lake Nasser downstream to the Delta, with chapters devoted to such popular sites as Aswan, Luxor and Giza. Also covered are the Eastern and Western Deserts, as well as the Sinai Peninsula.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A missed opportunity.,
By
This review is from: The Geology of Egypt: A Traveler's Guide (How the Land Made Egypt What It Is) (Paperback)
A rather hit-and-miss affair. The opening chapters on `geological concepts' and `the origins of rock types' are good basic introductions to geology. At first glance, the rest of the book seems up to the job. However, it falls down in two major areas. The first is an almost unforgivable lack of geological maps. This is meant to be a guide to the geology of Egypt, and yet there are only two geological maps in the entire book (on pages 22 and 98). To make matters worse, neither map has a distance scale on it. As a geologist who is interested in the geology of places I visit on holidays, this is a serious oversight. Maps are essential to any book that calls itself a guide to geology. More frequent maps would also negate the need for turning back to page 22 to see where the rocks mentioned on each stage of the trip fit into the overall picture. The second area where the book falls down is in a failure to add detail to the stratigraphic column given on page 23. Periods (e.g. Jurassic) are not broken down further to give formations or members. This would be useful if the reader wanted to compare the geology of places such as Britain with Egypt at certain times in a bit more detail. This oversight is compounded on page 78 where the author mentions the "Serai Formation of the Thebes Group" and the "Esna Shale" without clarifying where these fit in to the overall picture.
The dust jacket states that the author has "..studied Egyptology, archaeology, and geology extensively". It does not actually state what subject(s) her actual professional qualifications are in. From what I have seen in the book, geology does not appear to be one of them. It comes across as the work of an enthusiastic amateur, who has read lots of other peoples' work but who lacks the knowledge of what a geological guide is all about.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.6 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews) 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ties Geology and Egyptology Together,
By Charles Rigano - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Geology of Egypt: A Traveler's Guide (How the Land Made Egypt What It Is) (Paperback)
I have read over 100 books on Ancient Egypt and this is the first one I found that describes how the geology of the country was a significant factor in shaping the flow of Egyptian history and civilization. First provides some geology basics without getting lost in the technical details, but just enough to provide the needed background. Than starts at the south (Upper Egypt) and travels through the country tying the country's geology to archaeological finds and historical events. I was surprised to learn that most granite does not come from quarries. Describes how the Nile's course changed and why. Provides a convincing arguement on how the ancients choose sites for their pyramids. Provides good rationale for a 4,500 year old Sphinx instead of a 12,000 year old Sphinx. A must to round out an understanding of Ancient Egypt. Well researched and an interesting, easy read. 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Much Needed Book,
By William L. Orcutt - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Geology of Egypt: A Traveler's Guide (How the Land Made Egypt What It Is) (Paperback)
Until the publication of this volume, it was difficult to find a book on the geology of Egypt, and impossible to find one at an affordable price. "A Traveler's Guide to the Geology of Egypt" truly fulfills a need. A few brief introductory chapters put the newcomer to geology in a position to better understand what follows. As a further aid, technical words that appear in boldface are found in a helpful glossary. The main body of the book describes the geology of Egypt, and its impact and influence on the development of the ancient civilization, from Lake Nasser to the Delta and east to Sinai. The size of the book and the arrangement of the information within make it an ideal companion to the traveler wishing to understand not only the surrounding physical landscape, but the cultural interaction with that landscape from pharaonic times through the present. This book is clearly written, and plenty of maps, diagrams, and photos compliment the text. The extensive bibliography provides a good tool for further research. While it makes a good bookshelf reference, I look forward to taking this book with me to Egypt.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "Must Have/Must Read",
By Richard S. Harwood - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Geology of Egypt: A Traveler's Guide (How the Land Made Egypt What It Is) (Paperback)
"A Traveler's Guide to the Geology of Egypt" is well written and extremely readable. Designed for people who have little or no prior knowledge of geology, it is still loaded with information that even professional geologists will find of great interest. As an archaeologist and a frequent traveler to Egypt, I will never again go to Egypt without rereading and carrying a copy of this book. Nor, I think, should any first-time tourist. It's definitely a 5-star publication.
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