The significant contributions of the people of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq, parts of Iran, Syria, Kuwait, and Turkey) are given a brief overview in the That's Ancient! series (6 titles). Mesopotamia, known as the cradle of civilization, is a land of firsts: city, school, library catalog, aquarium, and calendar, among others. Various inventions as well as the Mesopotamians' interest in mathematics, sailing, astrology, and medicine are described alongside fascinating details (e.g., some doctors used magical spells to prevent disease while others used methods that resemble contemporary techniques). The drawings, colorful photos of artifacts, and pages with blue backgrounds and green chapter headings are appealing. Young readers will be impressed with the breadth and great number of contributions the Mesopotamians bestowed upon the world. Back matter contains an index, further reading, and a glossary.