Rating: 
Summary: For special interest readers only
Review: The book is well put together, but too dry for an average non-fiction reader. This is not a light read. Unless you've read more Greek lit. than just Homer and know a fair amount about the individual city states it will be an uphill read (as it was for me). Some small knowledge of the Greek language or Ancient Greek would help.Oh, for a classical education!
Rating: 
Summary: If you have an appetite for Greek history, this is your book
Review: This is a most welcome addition to my Ancient History bookshelf, and while a knowledge of Athenian history lets you get the most out of this book, those without any background in the subject may find that Davidson will prompt them to dig further into the lives and times of a most intriguing people. I found myself thinking "Aha!" more than once as some facets of Athenian culture were put more firmly into place for me, and the rich fullness of Athenian life put on display. Granted this is not the most entertaining 'read', but neither is it a dry scholarly tome. Some tables (regarding currency and what it would buy, for example) would have been nice to make some comparisons easier, but that is a minor matter. Any student of Greek drama or history should find this book invaluable in gaining a deeper understanding of their coursework, not to mention the fun to be had in throwing references from this admirable book in to jazz up your next paper.
Rating:
Summary: The best thing out of classical studies in a long time
Review: This is about the best book I have ever read about classical antiquity. Davidson focusses on consumption habits, and the morality of eating, drinking, and sex. It is both very revealing about the lives of the Greeks, and an absolutely key step in understanding the origins of modern styles of consumer culture. This is by far the most theoretically sophisticated thing written about consumption in prehistory - Davidson brings some of the best of modern consumption theory to bear, but never in a pedantic way. The text remains lively, fun, and enlightening.
Rating:
Summary: Fishy stuff
Review: This isn't a bad book. The writing is pretty good and it is loaded with trivial facts about Athenians. It is interesting in that one gets to flirt with entering quite an alien culture and gets to try and equate it with how we live today.
The author never really brought this alive for me but it was good enough that I finished it.
Rating:
Summary: a different approach
Review: Very interesting modernist look at the eating, drinking, and sexual habits of the citizens of this great civilization. They were in many ways a quite peculiar people, not always totally rational, but I still found their overall acceptable standards to be within their own original concept of the golden mean. Some aspects of the book are repetitive, and the author's blasè style is a bit ambiguous at times.
Rating:
Summary: Not just for classicists
Review: While I would grant that this is a scholarly work by a serious historian I found it an engaging read and quite fascinating. It is one of the few books I have read that really helps one get into the mindset (mentalite) of another civilization, far distant in time and space. I don't think one needs an encyclopaedic knowledge of ancient Greece to appreciate this book but some exposure to other studies of mentalites might be helpful.
Rating:
Summary: Superb book
Review: With a elegant style, this book modified my view about some aspects of private life and habits of the ancient Athenians. Davidson goes direct to the point without much philosophical considerations. I strongly recommend it.
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