"It's amazing what they don't teach you in school about the people of ancient Greek and Rome. Were they tall? Did they shave? Did they go on vacation? Did they believe in aliens? Garrett Ryan's endlessly eye-opening book made me feel like I didn't just know about the ancients, but that I actually knew them."

– Ken Jennings, writer and Jeopardy! champion

“Very easy to read and thoroughly researched, Garrett Ryan's book is packed full of fascinating nuggets of information. Ranging from the rough side of everyday life to the use of assassins and spies, and to some of the stranger beliefs held by its citizens, this book offers an intriguing and fresh approach to understanding the ancient world.” – Dr. Jerry Toner, Director of Studies in Classics at Churchill College, University of Cambridge

“Bursting with colorful anecdotes, stuffed with vivid details, and with a ’you are there’ immediacy, this highly entertaining, engagingly written book pairs a scholar's erudition with a lively sense of humor. Structured as answers to 36 common questions about Greek and Roman antiquity, this book covers everything from religion and politics to hobbies and pets. To the question, ‘Are you not entertained?,’ the answer is emphatically yes. Readers will effortlessly learn an amazing amount of accurate information about life in the ancient world along the way.”

–Prof. Gregory S. Aldrete, author of Daily Life in the Roman City

"Garrett Ryan pushes our understanding of Rome in new and wonderful directions. His book has less to say about emperors than it does about the ways they used their elephants – but that’s because it’s been written to help us understand how the Romans really thought, and what was actually important to them. And if you’ve ever wondered how the Romans treated their gladiators (surprisingly well), or what exactly prompted them to carve statues of the well-endowed god Priapus (to frighten birds), Ryan has the answers to those questions as well." – Mike Dash, author of Batavia’s Graveyard

Excellent book bound to be a classic!! Garrett Ryan has created an easy-to-read masterpiece on ancient Greeks and Romans. He writes with a very conversational tone and great sense of humor, including some very clever passages that I would re-read. He discusses a broad range of issues from human sacrifice to why Greeks and Romans didn’t wear pants, supplemented with a good selection of graphics. This is a wonderful book well worth reading.

Garrett Ryan earned his PhD in Greek and Roman History from the University of Michigan. Besides teaching at several universities and authoring a series of academic works, he has brought ancient history to life for hundreds of thousands of readers through his contributions to online forums and his website toldinstone.com. He lives in Chicago.