<p>Review      How the Sumerians Became Rich is an excellent read. It not only explores the evolution of the language, but also the culture and society of the Sumerians. It was well researched, with 16 pages of bibliography references, and a few citations to online articles for those of us that cannot dive too deep in the weeds but would like to learn more. I feel the greatest benefit of owning the book is having the comprehensive sign list. I once asked my professor what the best book would be for Sumerian and I was pointed to an online resource. As far as I know, until now, there was never a published sign list for Sumerian this comprehensive. Even my study guide has only a fraction of the signs that are included in How the Sumerians Became Rich. I would recommend this book to anyone with interest in the Sumerians or their language. (PJ Green) This is an excellent book that should be read by anyone interested in Sumerian society. But it is more than that. Without being tendentious, Halloran has included parallels with modern society, as well. The Sumerians made choices regarding the relative merits of collective vs. individual rights and responsibilities. We face similar pressures. The book is very well documented linguistically, as one would expect from the author of the Sumerian Lexicon. The title may or may not appeal to everyone, but the content is extremely valuable. Scholarship does not have to be boring, nor esoteric. This book is very readable. There is very little available on the Sumerians. Most of the material that is published (and rapidly goes out-of-print) is arcane linguistic trivia. Halloran's books are a very nice exception to this trend. (Fred Lord M.Sc. in Applied Linguistics) The title of John Alan Halloran's new book says it all: How the Sumerians Became Rich. The Sumerians prospered even though they didn't have a lot of natural resources. Exactly how they managed to do this has never been fully understood by the scholars. Until now. Sumerian civilization was destroyed more than 4,000 years ago, so only a few of their artifacts remain - except for thousands of cuneiform tablets. Fortunately, John Alan Halloran is an expert on the Sumerian language (he is also the author of the Sumerian Lexicon). He uses the Sumerians' own words to describe their expertise in farming, herding, business, and government, showing how they created enough surplus wealth to develop their great civilization (when most of the world was still living in the Stone Age). Halloran also uses modern history and sociology to offer genuine insight into how the Sumerians dealt with the same problems that still exist in the world today. Although this is a scholarly book, Halloran's clear presentation of his ideas is easily understood by all readers. Taken together, both of Halloran's books provide important contributions to the study of Sumerian history. The Sumerian Lexicon is essential to understanding the Sumerian language. How the Sumerians Became Rich is essential to understanding the Sumerian people. (Jerald Jack Starr)​How the Sumerians Became Rich by John Halloran is a thorough and thought-provoking reappraisal of the rise of the first civilisation. This ground breaking work could be read as a series of essays on aspects of Sumerian epistemology and in this Halloran succeeds splendidly. Halloran's perspective focuses on the transition by way of culture of man from a state of nature (and the consequent uncontrolled vagaries of existence) to a state of greater certainty, and therefore of human control. He argues convincingly that economic factors account for the cultural impetus which would result in Sumer's unique achievements. As well as calling upon archaeological and linguistic evidence and economic theory Halloran draws his thinking from a wide range of disciplines not previously regarded as significant to Sumerology. His arguments are supported by illustrations which are effective in enhancing the message. The descriptive list of a</p>

How The Sumerians Became Rich: With Sumerian Cuneiform Sign List and Sign Readings Index

John A. Halloran

Reference

Logogram Publishing

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Books by John A. Halloran

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by John A. Halloran. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

How The Sumerians Became Rich: With Sumerian Cuneiform Sign List and Sign Readings Index