Know It All Anthropology The 50 Most Important Ideas in Anthropology, Each Explained in Under a Minute

by Underdown, Simon

• ISBN13: 9781577151739
• ISBN10: 1577151739
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2018-04-03
• Publisher: Wellfleet Press

Summary

Who are we? What is it about our species that sets us apart from every other living creature, past and present, on this planet?

These are perennially compelling questions about human evolution and development that continue to cudgel the best brains on earth. Know-It-All Anthropology seeks to understand the roots of our common humanity, the diversity of cultures and world-views, and the organization of social relations and practices.

If you only have under a minute, that is enough time--by reading this book--to meet the ancestors and master the basic ideas, personalities, controversies, and future directions of the study of humankind.

The Know It All takes a revolutionary approach to learning about the subjects you really feel you should understand but have never gotten around to studying. Each book selects a popular topic and dissects it into the 50 most significant ideas at its heart. Each idea, no matter how complex, is explained in 300 words and one picture, all digestible in under a minute.

Other titles in this series include:  Know It All Chemistry, Know It All Classical Music, Know It All Energy, Know It All Fashion, Know It All Great Inventions, Know It All Jazz, Know It All Medicine, Know It All Shakespeare, Know It All Whiskey, Know It All Wine, Space In 30 Seconds, Sports in 30 Seconds.
 

Author Biography

Editor Simon Underdown is Senior Lecturer in Biological Anthropology at Oxford Brookes University. He teaches, researches, and writes on human evolution, the effect of the environment on humans, palæoepidemeology, the relationship between biology and culture, and the development of human intelligence. He regularly appears on radio and TV programs ,discussing human evolution and the latest developments. He writes for the Guardian on contemporary issues in science, including climate change, creationism, religious belief, and the use of human remains in research. He has also contributed book reviews to numerous publications, including History Today and the THES. A former Vice President of the Royal Anthropological Institute (2012–15) he was involved in designing the biological aspects of the A-Level in Anthropology. He is currently Chair of the Society for the Study of Human Biology and a Research Associate of the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford.
 

Table of Contents

CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction Simon Underdown
Chapter 1: Evolution
GLOSSARY
1 The Hominins
2 Brain Development
3 Tools
4 Fire
5 Neanderthals
6 Homo sapiens
Profile: Richard Leakey
7 Ancient DNA
Chapter 2: The Human Species
GLOSSARY
8 What is Race?
9 Variation
10 Dispersal & Distribution
Profile: Magaret Mead
11 Is Anyone Indigenous?
12 Africa
13 Asia
14 Europe
15 The Americas
16 Australasia
Chapter 3: Materials
GLOSSARY
17 Adobe, Pottery & Brick
Profile: Franz Boas
18 Bronze Age & Metallurgy
19 Industry & Mining
20 Precious Metals & Gems
21 Steel & Glass
Chapter 4: Socialization
GLOSSARY
22 Domestication
23 Settlement & Infrastructure
Profile: Bronislaw Malinowski
24 Linguistics
25 Language
26 Symbols
27 Ceremony & Ritual
28 Death
29 Art & Artefact
30 Humanity
Chapter 5: Migration
GLOSSARY
31 Navigation
32 Trade
Profile: Clifford Geertz
33 Borders
34 Migrants
35 Refugees
Chapter 6: Ideas
GLOSSARY
36 Religion & Belief
37 Identity
38 Politics
Profile: Claude Lévi-Strauss
39 Hierarchy & Leadership
40 Kinship & Tribe
41 Dunbar’s Number
42 Gender
Chapter 7: Modern Peoples
GLOSSARY
43 Ethnicity
44 War & Aggression
45 Artificial Intelligence
46 Ethics
47 The Genetic Frontier
Profile: Paul Farmer
48 Human Planet & Climate Change
49 Diversity or Globalization
50 Forensic Anthropology
Resources
Index & Acknowledgements