What is another way to say " the reason i'm asking you this "

The greatest gift the sumerians gave the world was the invention of writing. the sumerians were wealthy people. they needed some way to keep track of what they owned. they began drawing pictures. they used a reed as a pen. they drew on soft pieces of clay. the soft clay was then dried in the sun. the tablet became a permanent record. later, the sumerian drawings changed into wedge-shaped symbols. this kind of writing is called cuneiform. by putting symbols together, the sumerians could write entire sentences.

Iam giving 10 points and mark brains ! need asap

Which is the correct mla format for a parenthetical citation for page 25 of a book titled my father, my hero by desmond frimpong?