After surveying successfully decoded ancient scripts, like Egyptian hieroglyphics, Linear B, and Mayan glyphs, Andrew Robinson's Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered Scripts (New York: McGraw Hill, 2002, $34.95) dissects the writing systems that still befuddle linguists; Harappan, Linear A, and Easter Island's enigmatic Rongorongo being the chief examples. Robinson's enthusiasm for the subject is so infectious that you might find yourself trying to crack Etruscan in your spare time. [More books...]
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