Decoding Egyptian Hieroglyphs: How to Read the Secret Language of the Pharaohs

I was new to hieroglyphics and had no intention of becoming an expert in them. The book gave me insights into how they were used -- I had no idea that they were phonetic based before reading this. I found it inspiring as an artist. I created bookmarks for friends with their names in my interpretation of hierglyphs.

Covering, as it does, both the historical (household goods, tools, weapons, etc.) and the mythological (temple art, scrolls, legends) in brief but concise detail. This book is the perfect bridge for amature egyptologists who want to further their studies.

This is by far my favorite hieroglyph book. It is easy to read and understand and even has a section in the back that explains grammar and gives you several dozen hieroglyphs for common words and phrases. I have designed several tattoos using this book. :)

This is an absolutely great book. McDermott goes through ancient Egyptian culture, the meanings of many symbols, basics of the grammar of the language. VERY heavily illustrated with both superb photos and easy-to-read drawings of the various symbols. This in not like Introduction to Spanish, etc. It is not a coursebook on reading the language, it is an overview of the writing system and the grammar. With the descriptions of the culture and related photos, etc., even someone who couldn't care less about the language will still find the book interesting and enjoyable. Anyone interested in ancient history, anthropology, art, or theology will love this book. This would make a great gift even for someone without those interests because of all the beautiful pictures and all the interesting "tidbits" about Egyptian culture. They can read just 2-3 pages and find SOMETHING they can work into a conversation that will make them sound well-read!

This book is a great book with alot of information I would personaly recomend it to anyone intrested in egypt. It is fairly easy to understand. It gives you beginers look into ancient egyption language and hieroglyphs.