Choice 评论

Anyone with even a passing interest in the Maya Indians and their hieroglyphic system of writing will find Montgomery's book valuable. This is not a history of how scholars have come to understand Maya hieroglyphics, but rather a straightforward book on how to read the glyphs. Other writers have done this, but Montgomery outdoes them by assuming almost nothing on the part of the reader. Let's face it: reading Maya hieroglyphics is not easy. It may be second nature to specialists, but those of us with no background quickly become lost in the discussion. Montgomery, a professional draftsman who illustrated several books written by the late Linda Schele, one of the more influential Maya scholars of the late 20th century, leads the reader through the myriad twists and turns, using simple phrasing and plenty of illustrations. The hundreds of excellent drawings add immeasurably to the book's success. If readers are willing to put time into the discussion and follow along carefully, they will begin to see the logic to the glyphs and will soon be able to actually read them. Recommended for most levels, especially interested general readers, graduate students in archaeology and linguistics, and professionals in those fields. M. J. O'Brien University of Missouri--Columbia