The title of this book is a bit misleading. The southern Mesopotamian city of Uruk indeed was one of the first urban centers of mankind and definitely a landmark in the earliest history of human civilizations (from about 4,000 BCE). Mario Liverani regularly zooms in on Uruk and its surroundings. But his focus is much broader. Geographically, he covers almost the entire Mesopotamian cultural area (and even beyond). And his focus is theoretical rather than factual: he systematically deals with the various discussions that are raging in the study of Mesopotamian history, such as the question of what was the most important factor in the formation of urban centers and states, or in the development of writing. That theoretical approach may deter the average reader, but the views of Liverani do absolutely justice to the large gaps that still exist in our knowledge of the earliest human history, and to the complexity of the developments that took place at that time. More on this in my History account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1935848854.