I have read mostly texts that focus on religion. Any good texts dealing with the rise and fall of civs? Or of how a particular civ functioned?
I suggest Will and Ariel Durant's eleven-volume series "The Story of Civilization" together with Will Durant's "The Lessons of History."
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond details the factors that allowed for the rise of civilizations. It's validity is often contested, but I think it's a good read anyway.
He has also written a book "Collapse" which looks at factors that cause the fall of civilizations. I haven't read it but I plan to.