"Very short" hardly seems to cover it. This book is tiny, but it crams so much information in there. Yet despite the concepts, evidence and examples flying at you thick and fast, it never feels overwhelming; in fact, it's an inspiration to further knowledge acquisition. Part of that is the clear, careful, yet charming style, but also the structuring of the book by broad theme rather than geographically or chronologically assisted in cutting to the heart of those concepts.

A fantastic book to start exploration of the topic, but possibly also a good touchstone for the more knowledgeable to see other pieces of the puzzle that might not have made their radar yet. ( )

I was disappointed by this work, clearly by a very knowledgeable author, who could not be bothered to use proper English, but instead writes in opaque academic prose. I did not finish, as it was just not enjoyable wading through this turgid account. ( )