SPQR by Mary Beard

If you should read just one book about ancient Rome, this should be it. Rather than telling the “story” of Rome from start to finish, each chapter covers a single topic. In the end, you get a pretty good overview of Rome’s history, from its emergence from the fog of a founding myth to its violent uprising, and finally to its end, which is almost as foggy as the beginning. I really like that this book was written by a woman. She chose topics that male authors might overlook or not give enough focus to. Those moments were when I felt that I started to understand the Romans. I began to understand the similarities and differences, and where my own thinking originates.