Author hints that although the enlightenment narrative of a "Greek miracle" holds a strong bias in modern minds, the true origin of philosophy remains shrouded in mysticism. The possibility exists that human civilizations could indeed be much older than the timelines suggested by current archaeological evidence. Indeed if one were to ask certain Hindu devotees about the origin date of the Vedas, you may be surprised to find the response: "They are Timeless!"

A not-quite-painless but no less stimulating intro to Ancient Indian Materialism:

http://www.iep.utm.edu/indmat/

Ancient Greek philosophy didn't evolve in a vacuum. If anyone really happens to be interested in the subject a good source might be 'The Shape of Ancient Thought' by Thomas McEvilley which traces the co-evolution of ancient Greek and ancient Indian philosophy starting from the time both Greece and India were subordinate to the Persian Empire and interacted extensively in places like Persepolis. This interaction continued even after the subordination of Persia to Greece and later to Rome.

This doesn't even scratch the surface of pre-Socratic philosophy and doesn't explain its importance for European/Western culture.

Wouldn't what is left of the pre-Socratics fit into a very small book, with plenty of room for commentary?

hell no

the unholy trinity (socrates, plato, aristotes) were despictable in regard to presocratic. They where siding with the wealthiest one in order to say: - richest people should rule and democracy was shit (hence the republic) - science sux because it is complex to understand it; - religion should rule the life of people; - censorship is cool; - it matters more to ridicule your opponents with fallacies than to use logic in dialog; - philosoph should lend their power to the more powerful in order to influence the society - martyrdom is totally cool. Let us die for ideas

On the other hand you have

- Epicure: most people defer to live not noticing a deadly poison has been put in the source of our life - Euclides : you can create any geometry given the choice of axioms and careful reasoning - Diogenes Laerce : the cynics (dogs in greek) living by choice with no material property (the inspiration behind the stoician) - Esop well, who don't know Esop? La Fontaine at least plagiarized him and then became a famous french poet. - Herodote: Invented modern history - thyucidide described the end of the greek civilisation (conflict between Spart and the imperialist Athen) - Solon, Clysten, périclès the inventor of the real democracy and the founder of politicics - Sparta invented the modern method of social management and controlling the masses

AND

The last of the sophist (the way of thinking that was demolished by the socratics): Nietschze. Wie man mit dem Hammer philosophirt (or how much socrates sux).

Is this the entire book?

"The End" kind of gives it away. More of a long essay than a short book. I'm going to check it out regardless, I really need to level up my classical and pre-classical philosophy.