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This work is a critical examination of Maat, the moral ideal in ancient Egypt. It seeks to present Maat in the language of modern moral discourse while at the same time preserving and building on its distinctiveness as a moral ideal capable of inspiring and maintaining ethical philosophic reflection. The effort here is one of both interpretation and transmission of an ethical tradition, a project in which tradition is seen not simply as a precondition and process in which one comes, but also as an ongoing product of one's efforts to understand it. Locating himself within the tradition, the author seeks to test the conceptual elasticity of its major categories and contentions and to establish its capacity for critical moral discourse. ... Read more

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One of the Greatest Books
This is one of the most sigificant books in millenniums. Please have faith in what I am saying this book is before its time!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

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TV melodramas as a technology of modern self-making
I have no firsthand knowledge of Egyptian TV dramas, and I read this book as an introduction to Egyptian contemporary society. This is a serious scholarly work, based on extended fieldwork and with firm grounding in cultural anthropology. At the same time, the book is inspired by a feeling of sympathy and respect for the many women that the author interviewed or spent time with: village dwellers in Upper Egypt, household maids and nannies in Cairo, as well as professionals engaged in the making, diffusion or commentary of TV dramas.

Abu-Lughod treats the relationship between television and its viewers as an encounter mediated by class, gender and national ideology. The world that her viewers inhabit is often light-years away from the urban middle class lifestyle and modern values that are reflected in melodramas. These two worlds sometimes collide, as when television serials raise contentious issues such as rural backwardness, women emancipation or the influence of radical Islam, themes that echo differently among secular producers and their underprivileged audiences.But more often than not, women viewers develop a sentimental attachment to the lively characters and roller-coaster plotlines that become part of their everyday life.

There are at least three ways that TV melodramas help produce a sense of nationhood and contribute to the shaping of modern subjects. First, by riveting the whole population to their TV sets at certain hours of the day, regardless of class, gender or regional affiliation, they provide a unifying tempo and a common set of reference that become an inexhaustible source for gossip and everyday conversations. Second, more than Latin America's telenovelas, these melodramatic dramas are often closely tied to political and social issues. According to Abu-Lughod, they serve as a vehicle for an ideology of developmentalism that idealizes education, progress and modernity as a solution to the nation's backwardness. This national ideology is currently on the defensive, assaulted by the thrust of Islamism and globalism that offer competing visions for Egypt's future, but it still dominates the national media and inspires many TV writers and directors, who like to think of themselves as being the voice of the people. Third, Egyptian dramas are not only a national phenomenon: they are also watched enthusiastically across the Arab world, propelling local actresses to international stardom and giving Egyptians a sense of national pride and moral superiority.

For those who despair that Hollywood or the American television industry dominates and defines globalization, the success of Egyptian melodramas suggests that nationhood is still a pervasive force that shapes individuals' sense of being and belonging. ... Read more

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Writing and the state both first began in the ancient Near East. Theorigins of history are traced to the place where they met. But whatdid they actually have to do with each other? Most of ancient NearEastern philology consists of careful examination of the leavings ofthe state scribes; it has revealed a treasure-house of ancientculture, from haunting poetry to onion archives. But there is acrucial blind spot in our perspective on the largest and oldestarchive of the ancient world: the relationship between the vast bodyof official writing and the actual life of language as spoken,understood, and imagined by ancient Near Eastern people. The vitalrelationships between language and ethnicity, the connections betweenlanguages of empire and local identity, and way languages are born,live and die in writing has remained the subject of more speculationthan rigorous research. If recorded history began in the ancient NearEast, we are just beginning to explore the powerful creativerelationship between writing and the political identities of the NearEast's cultures. Collectively, the articles here providewell-documented challenges to conventional wisdom about that forwhich people actually used Sumerian, Egyptian, Hittite, and Hebrew.This conference was the first to bring leading philologists togetherwith anthropologists and social theorists to explore what writingmeant to politics in the ancient Near East. ... Read more

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The cultures and politics of nations around the world may be understood (or misunderstood) in any number of ways. For the Arab world, language is the crucial link for a better understanding of both. Classical Arabic is the official language of all Arab states although it is not spoken as a mother tongue by any group of Arabs. As the language of the Qur'an, it is also considered to be sacred. For more than a century and a half, writers and institutions have been engaged in struggles to modernize Classical Arabic in order to render it into a language of contemporary life. What have been the achievements and failures of such attempts? Can Classical Arabic be sacred and contemporary at one and the same time? This book attempts to answer such questions through an interpretation of the role that language plays in shaping the relations between culture, politics, and religion in Egypt.
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Christmas present
This book was for the same Egyptology student, who is taking her studies further in Social Anthropology. Makes a good case for a bridge between Ancient Egypt and the culture of today.

Egyptians Speak a Language they do not Respect and Respect a langauge they do not speak
Niloofar Haeri is an Iranian American; she studied Arabic Language in the USA and went to Egypt to further her studies. On arrival she realized that the language she learnt "modern Arabic" is very different from the language spoken by the Egyptians. The difference was more than just accent or dialect; it was far more fundamental than that. Haeri set out studying the Egyptian "Arabic" language in great detail and studying its role in the society.

Haeri describes contradictions galore in the way the society deals with the language issue and the way the whole language question is suppressed virtually by the entire nation. Egyptians are trapped unable to develop their language because any such development would be a departure from the sacred language of the Quran; a language the Egyptians never spoke and need to learn. Even the Copts, Egypt's Christians see Egyptian Arabic as an inferior language. Some of the amazing findings of Haeri include her analysis of the language of the newspapers which follows the sentence structure of Egyptian Arabic, political speeches and language on the TV. It was interesting to see how presidential speeches in Egyptian Arabic are often "translated" into proper Arabic for official news purposes.

I first heard of this book from a very negative review of the Al Ahram Weekly that was written by an American woman living in Egypt. The negative review was front page of the book review supplement of the Ahram. I was fascinated by it, so on my return to the US I ordered and truly loved it. Outstanding work, very highly recommended!

Spoken Arabic: The Sacred and Profane
This is a very intelligent book about a topic that has been plaguing Arabic philoloigists and thinkers. How do you modernize a language that is considered sacred? Is there a difference between the modern Classic Arabic and the Quran's Classic Arabic? What are people's attitudes towards Classical Arabic? Perhaps one of the best passages in this study is when an Egyptian would explain the ease and the relaxed state of mind he is in upon hearing or reading the Quran (which is written in Classical Arabic), yet at the same time would describe the same language as "diffcult", and a burdan to write and communicate in within other spheres. Other topics explore the efforts made to transfer a sacred language into print and media and how it defines social heirarchies within Egyptian society. ... Read more

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no title
Of all the books (mostly parts of) that I have read on Egypt, this was the best.Good pictures and illustrations, just the right balance in the writing between keeping you interested but learning something, and the first place I have run accross that thoroughly explained how the Rosetta Stone was translated and exactly how hieroglyphics work, including some of their meanings.A comprehensive overview of Egypt's history, and it's political, cultural, intellectual and religious life.Gave great insight into how much our own culture and civilization- and Christianity, I think - really owe to the ancient Egyptians.They had the first calendar - the resurrection of a god theory, the first writing, the first surgery and medicine, the first real architecture, including the first use of stone, probably the first indoor plumbing.And mostly they seemed to be a well-off lot. ... Read more

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Enemies of Civilization is a work of comparative history and cultural consciousness that discusses how "others" were perceived in three ancient civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China. Each civilization was the dominant culture in its part of the world, and each developed a mind-set that regarded itself as culturally superior to its neighbors. Mu-chou Poo compares these societies' attitudes toward other cultures and finds differences and similarities that reveal the self-perceptions of each society.

Notably, this work shows that in contrast to modern racism based on biophysical features, such prejudice did not exist in these ancient societies. It was culture rather than biophysical nature that was the most important criterion for distinguishing us from them. By examining how societies conceive their prejudices, this book breaks new ground in the study of ancient history and opens new ways to look at human society, both ancient and modern. ... Read more

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With remarkably realistic characterizations and unprecedenteddigital special effects, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT establishes anew standard inanimated feature films. It is the first movie since The Ten Commandments(1956) to retell the story of Moses from the Book of Exodus, history'searliest narrative of deliverance from slavery that has been a source offaith and inspired dreams of freedom throughout the world. It represents adaring effort on the part of the founders of DreamWorks SKG - StevenSpielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and david Geffen - to pioneer cinematicanimation that is as versatile as live-action filmmaking.

The reader of this book will see how the fimmakers constructed the filmscene by scene, shaping the narrative and deepening its dramatic impactand emotional resonance. They tell the stirring biblical story of Mosesand the Pharaoh Rameses, who are driven by the circumstances of theirbirth to a momentous confrontation. The vast panorama of ancient Egypt,encompassing monumental architecture and majestic desire landscapes,offered unprecedented opportunities to artists. the pivotal role of God'smiracles- the Burning Bush, the Ten Plagues, and the Parting of the RedSea-called for the invention of digital special effects so awe inspiringthat they would justify Mose's stirring declaration to the Hebrews,"Believe-for we will see God's wonders.

An internationally respected critic and historian of animation, CharlesSolomon has written five books on the subject, including the acclaimedEnchanted Drawings: The History of Animation (1989).Amazon.com Review
Charles Solomon heeds the maxim that one picture is worth athousand words in The Prince of Egypt: A New Vision inAnimation. Dedicated to exploring the behind-the-scenes making ofDreamWorks' first animated film, the book is a gorgeous compilation ofartwork, from preliminary sketches to final product, that demonstratesthe complicated process of bringing cartoon characters to life. Whattext there is is mostly tucked away in the form of captions, alongwith brief introductions to each chapter and a short section at theend containing information on such topics as the music, the layout,the story, and the animators. This lush, beautiful book will appealboth to fans of the movie and readers with a more general interest inanimation. What's more, it'll look great on your coffee table. ... Read more

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Beautifully Done!
Whether you are an artist or a appreciator of great art this is a must have book! Beautiful illustrations and concepts from and for the movie. It is a delight to turn each page. A masterpiece!

Brilliant book!
Really nice book about how they put the movie together! One of the best books of the art of ...... out there!

Indepth walkthrough on the art and production process
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1HG1ZDQGCSYSU When The Prince of Egypt came out in 1998, it featured some spectacular visual effects ever used in animation. In this book, it shows the art and research done for the movie.

It includes set paintings, storyboards and character designs. The production design is excellent. The mood of old Egypt is recreated perfectly with the amazing use of lighting and restricted colour palette.

The text throughout explain the process of making the animation. For example, it talks about the difficulty in portraying Moses, on how costumes had to be designed to look Egyptian, on looking for the right actors for voice acting and more.

At the back of the book is the summary on all areas of production. It includes, the story structure, design, layout, voices, animation, backgrounds, music and effects.

This is a great art book.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

DREAMWORKS' EARLIEST SUCCESS STORY
Usually, I am a bit weary of animated films that come to the big screen, but the graceful and original animation caught my eye from Dreamworks' first animated feature.
With voice talents including Michelle Pfeiffer, Val Kilmer, Danny Glover, Martin Short, Steve Martin, Sandra Bullock, & several others, it's easy to see why this film has attracted many audiences. Though I'm not usually a fan of biblical stories, Dreamworks created it in a way that was relatable to everyone. Still, they could have gone with fewer songs...
This book is one of the greatest buys I've ever made. With the exception of The Lion King, the brilliant animation is captured throughout the book with great storyboards, conceptual art, and vast background paintings that are truly a treat to marvel at.
This is one of the rare books that I am genuinely proud to include in my library. Even if you're not a fan of the movie, this book contains great pieces of inspirational works that will make you wish you were an animator.

its a very good book to read

I read the book Prince of Egypt and I liked it. This is a book that you can learn from and go on a adventure. This book will show you how powerful God is. From this book you will find out that it is not a good idea to mess with god in a wrong way. Like the Pharaoh, he tried to go against of what god told him to do and his son ended up dyeing. Also Moses he was a stubborn Prince of Egypt and it is amazing how God changed him. Moses was born from a slave family and the Pharaoh sent his soldiers to kill all the new born. Moses mom sent Moses down a river hoping the river would take him to a safe place where Moses can live and grow up. Pharaoh's wife saw the baby and took him as her own and raised him as a Prince of Egypt. When Moses grows up he finds out that his real mom is a slave. Moses runs away from Egypt and lives in a desert for 40 years. During those 40 years God changed Moses and sends him back to Egypt to get his people out of slavery. Then Moses had to go and face his own brother and it is not a pretty site.
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This book argues that the seemingly intractable political problems that face India and Egypt today have their origins in the ideological and political crises of the early 20th century. ... Read more

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". . . allahu akbar--la ilaha--illa 'llah!"

Across the golden glory of the sky floated the insistent call of the _muezzin_ just as Damaris, followed closely by Wellington, her bulldog, turned out of the narrow street into the Khan el-Khalili. Shrill and sweet, from far and near it came, calling the faithful to prayer, impelling merchants to leave their wares, buyers their purchases, gossips their chatter, and to turn in the direction of Mecca and offer their praise to Allah, who is God. ... Read more

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In Egypt's Legacy, Michael Rice reviews the majesty of the history of Ancient Egypt from 3000-30 BC. Drawing upon Jungian analytical psychology, he argues that our interest in Egypt stems from a conscious acknowledgement of its achievements and an instinctive appreciation of its ability to express aspects of our unconscious.

Jung claimed that there exist certain psychological drives dormant in our shared unconscious--archetypes. Characteristic Egyptian institutions such as the nation-state and an omnipotent, isolated god were powerful and complex archetypes. Rice contends that these archetypes underlie most of the accepted norms of Western civilization and through an inherited unconscious, these civilizations are influenced in their attempts to give archetypes form. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Synopsis of history without archetypal substance
I just finished this. Having read countless books on Jungian Psychology and Egyptology I will tell you one thing. The author proceeds to provide a synopsis of Egyptian history with only the occasional reference to how these archetypes actually influenced the world. He defines the 'archetype'and 'collective unconscious'in the introduction and then proceeds to give a history of Egypt without intertwining the ways by which these psychic processes, through culture and religion, shaped the world we live in as we know it today. When it comes to the history of Egypt, there are better books out there (Oxford History of Ancient Egypt) and the author makes many blatant mistakes one of which is mistaking the triad of Osiris, Isis and Horus for 'the king with two female divinities' and the reliefs at temple of Denderah for that of Edfu - mistakes like that are quite unforgivable at this level of scholarship. In addition, I bought the hardcover version of this which was ridiculously overpriced (100 plus dollars)

READABLE
Strongly influenced by C. G. Jung, founder of analytical psychology, the author argues that Ancient Egypt was a great coherent yet primitive society. Divided in three parts, this book first outlines the mainhistorical events of the Egyptian kingdoms through chronological sequenceof the royal dinasties. The author then explains the importance of thedissemination of Egyptian history to the Western world. A refreshingconcept, it is a readable and fascinating book for the open-minded. ... Read more

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The international conference 'Egypt and Cyprus in Antiquity' held in Nicosia in April 2003 filled an important gap in historical knowledge about Cyprus' relations with its neighbours. While the island's links with the Aegean and the Levant have been well documented and continue to be the subject of much archaeological attention, the exchanges between Cyprus and the Nile Valley are not as well known and have not before been comprehensively reviewed. They range in date from the mid third millennium B.C. to Late Antiquity and encompass every kind of interconnection, including political union. Their novelty lies in the marked differences between the ancient civilisations of Cyprus and Egypt, the distance between them geographically, which could be bridged only by ship, and the unusual ways they influenced each other's material and spiritual cultures. The papers delivered at the conference covered every aspect of the relationship, with special emphasis on the tangible evidence for the movement of goods, people and ideas between the two countries over a 3000 year period. ... Read more

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The current volume assembles a series of studies of Middle Kingdom culture gathered around the theme of archaism, change, and innovation. The papers had their origin in a symposium the University of Pennsylvania Museum hosted in 2002, and held in memory of the great Middle Kingdom scholar, Oleg Berlev. The Penn Museum organized the conference that received generous support from the Center for Ancient Studies of the University of Pennsylvania and the Marilyn and William Kelly Simpson Endowment in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University. For the publication, the authors revised and augmented their essays, allowing this volume to include up-to-date information. The editors also invited other scholars to contribute additional studies resulting in a volume that deals with the Middle Kingdom in a broader context. The Marilyn and William Kelly Simpson endowment in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University generously provided the funds necessary for the publication of the volume. ... Read more

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Highlights the geography, people, food, schools, recreation, celebrations, and language of Egypt. ... Read more

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194 pages, 1.7 pounds ... Read more