The Classics: All You Need to Know, from Zeus's Throne to the Fall of Rome - Hardcover

Taggart, Caroline

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1606521322 ISBN 13: 9781606521328

Publisher: Readers Digest, 2010

Synopsis

It's no myth: this lively refresher course fills in all you need to know about ancient studies-from Zeus's throne to the fall of Rome-in pithy little quips. It covers the impressive advances made by Greek and Roman societies, from language to medicine, from art to architecture. You'll learn:

The Greek alphabet, from alpha to omega

The history and characteristics that define Greek and Roman architecture and its influence on modern building

Greek and Latin words, which make up more than 30 percent of the words in the English language, and how you can build your vocabulary by learning the roots

The Greek and Roman gods, the mythology surrounding them, and the part these figures play in our culture

Almost 1,000 years of Greek and Roman history, from the birth of democracy to Caesar's empire

The philosophies taught by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and what their ideas have contributed to the world we live in today

How modern cultural staples such as the Olympics were formed by classical literature written by authors such as Homer and Cicero

A fascinating introduction to the world that became the foundation for Western Civilization, The Classics puts the same information from stuffy textbooks at your fingertips in one entertaining read. Make this and all of the Blackboard Books(tm) a permanent fixture on your shelf, and you'll have instant access to a breadth of knowledge. Whether you need homework help or want to win that trivia game, this series is the trusted source for fun facts.

About this title

About the Author:

Caroline Taggart is the author of several books in the nostalgic "back to school" series, including I Used to Know That, which reached the London Sunday Times bestseller list. She has been an editor of non-fiction books for 30 years and has covered nearly every subject from natural history and business to gardening and astronomy. As the editor of Writer's Market UK & Ireland, she gives lectures and workshops that help aspiring authors get published. She lives in London.

Review:

"A fun resource. It's published by Reader's Digest and has that 'user friendly' feel that I expect from the books they choose to publish. Caroline Taggart explains things in a clear and interesting way that makes it all relevant to today. I wish she had been around when I was in school-would have been more enjoyable than memorizing dry facts and I probably would have remembered more of the details. Serious subjects are presented in a fun and entertaining way." -Sweeps for Bloggers (Blog)
"Overall, I thought this was a great way to learn (or re-learn) a bit of our ancient history and heritage, while keeping it lighthearted and informative! Recommended!" -The Loud Librarian (Blog)

About this edition

• Publisher: Readers Digest
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1606521322
• ISBN 13: 9781606521328
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 176