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Rating: 
Summary: Not perfect, but the best for beginners
Review: Having had 2 semesters of Egyptian studies at SFSU, one of which was specifically in Egyptian Literature and Language, I can say that I was very impressed with this book. The authors share their expertise in an engaging and easy to learn step-by-step way, and their complete comfort with hieroglyphs is apparent partly by what they have omitted. A simple but important rule (three vertical lines indicates multiples of the item depicted) may seem obvious or familiar to the authors, yet it was not included and may confuse the absolute beginner. At other times the lesson seems more advanced than the information provided, or overly simple, so the book is not perfect. But if you are determined to teach yourself how to read and understand Egyptian hieroglyphs, the exercises and lessons of each chapter will definitely teach you this difficult skill if you can make it to the end of the book. The sizeable dictionary, hieroglyphic sign list, pronunciation guide, transliteration key and other well-designed tools are invaluable helpers on your journey.
Rating: 
Summary: The best introduction!!
Review: If you want to learn hieroglyphs and you want more than the basic simple books that are available on the market... buy this book!!!It begins with offering formulas and the names of pharaos and thereby you will instantly be able to read simple texts and get much joy out of the studies. The offering formulas are somewhat alike in all instances and is excellent to begin your studies with! In short! Buy the book! m htp
Rating:
Summary: The place to start.
Review: This book is absolutely perfect for the beginner who either wishes to start serious studies into how to read and write heiroglyphs, or who is simply curious about heiroglyphs and wants to pursue learning in his or her spare time. Well laid-out chapters start you with the basics of one-syllable heiroglyphs, and finish with complex multi-syllabic words. The very first page has you memorizing heiroglyphs and their transliterations, and by the end of the first chapter you'll know how to translate an actual ancient Egyptian stela. The book is very hands on... Each chapter has exercises so you can do your homework and get the practice you need to learn the heiroglyphs. The best part is knowing that the pictures of tomb walls and stelae that you're learning to read in the book are actual pieces in a museum. You're not learning how to read and write "Jack went to the ballgame" in heiroglyphs; you're learning about the life of actual ancient Egyptians. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning to read Egyptian heiroglyphs. If, after reading this, you're still hungry for knowledge, check out Gardiner's book "Middle Egyptian".
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