Helpful Score: 2
An interesting look at an ancient practice. The author has a ver strong understanding of ancient cultures and of modern culture and resists the urge to compare the two too closely. I found it fascinating, yet had to abandon reading the footnotes in order to get through it in any semblance of a timely matter. Many of the footnotes were completely in ancient Greek or Hebrew or Latin or Old French. The argumants advanced were based largely on the interpretations given to word usage (context)... A scholar's book, but with adequate vocabulary, easy for an interested layperson.
