Customer Reviews

Mummy (Eyewitness Books) (DK Eyewitness Books)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased this book from the children's section of our local Barnes and Noble Bookstore for my son who is fascinated with all things Egypt. I flipped through it quickly at the time, and regretted not looking more closely when I got home. While I honestly like this book as an adult (photos, text, illistrations, etc), it definately is not a kids book. There are multiple detailed (and potentially graphic for the non-medically inclined) photos of human mumified remains in the book which are not suited for most elementary school kids. A nice book but not for kids.

DK's "Mummy" book is a great resource for students everywhere. The authors take the global history of mummification and examine the physical evidence that has been left behind.

What is surprising about the process is that it was so widespread, and that it continued so long. Who knows exaclty when the first mummy was done, but the last mummy was produced in 1920! There have been Egyptian mummies, Roman mummies, chilean mummies, monk/sister mummies, animal mummies, and frozen mummies. The book goes into detail into proceses where possible, and reveals what we can learn about those time periods from modern examinations of them.

The sole disturbing fact in the book is that past times have treated the mummified dead as nothing more than fuel, fertiziler, conversation pieces, or medicine. One thing for sure, their indifference has polarized science today into studying these bodies even more in depth.

Timelines, CD art, and a rocking poster make this book great for your budding Howard Carter.

[...]

This book is a very informative guide to mummies of all kinds, most of which are historical! I really loved being able to read this book again (After having borrowed it from the local library). And this time, it came with a little extra bonus! Very nice. The only thing it did not mention was the Tocharian Mummies. And to me, they are some of the most fascinating mummies I ever learned about.

Mummies are preserved bodies of people and animals. It is usually done for religous reasons. Egyptians are most noted for their mummies. After embalming and wrapped the mummy was put into a coffin. Hundreds of yards wrapped mummies. Masks were used and made out of gold. Coffins protected mummies from wild animals and thieves. King Tut is the most famous mummy. Greeks also practiced mummification. Rammes II was another famous mumy. The oldest known mummy dates from 3300 BC. A good look at mummies.