Anthropology: The Human Challenge

by William A. Haviland, Harald E.L. Prins, Dana Walrath

Explore the most fascinating, creative, dangerous, and complex species alive you and your neighbors in the global village. With compelling photos, engaging examples, and select studies by anthropologists in far-flung places, the authors of The Human Challenge provide a holistic view of anthropology to help you make sense of today's world. With this text you will discover the different ways humans face the challenge of existence, the connection between biology and culture in the shaping of human behavior, and the impact of globalization on peoples and cultures around the world.

Genres: Anthropology, Textbooks, Nonfiction, History, School, Reference

744 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Samantha wickedshizuku Tolleson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to have this book for my AN224 class. I made an A. I love this freaking subject! Why does JSU have to be shutting this department down?!

[Estefania Pereira · Rating 2 out of 5]

I AM FINISHEDDDD

Holy fucking shit, this took me ages. But finally, the book that was gifted to my grandfather and no one ever read cause it was in english and nobody fucking knew english, has been read. I have honored the book in this. Now, these my thoughts:

It proposes a good start on the field of anthropology, giving a general idea of the way of thinking and examples on some investigations and cultures, I also liked some sentences and ideas that show how normalization of our culture, or ethnocentrism, can be negative to not only other cultures but our own. Even so, this is a book from the seventies, I think, as such, I saw there was a lot of backtalk against matrilineal societies, in which it tried to explain it but at the end mainly focused on the negative parts of those types of societies while not having as much negativity in patrilineal ones, I dont know much on the matter but I am quite sure now that can be because of a lack of questioning on why theres more evidence studied against matrilineal societies instead of patrilineal. The talks on family lives and divisions of labor based on gender were very very very strong, something I understand for a lot of cultures and societies, but even so, the presence of this kind of divisions and seeing them as normal or recurring begs to question the why, and IF, they are actually that strongly kept. At the end of the day, and even historically, it is thought that the divisions of labor arent thought to happen because of a difference in strengths but mainly as a necessity, and much more fluid than explained here.

Now I am done, toodles.

[Meaningless · Rating 4 out of 5]

This educated me on so many different topics of the human experience!
I had such a fun time exploring what it means to be human; how we are all similar; how we differentiate ourselves; and how we can change as a culture.
An easy read for anyone with adequate reading abilities and comprehension. :)

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering this is a textbook, this is extremely enthralling and invariably well written. Kudos to the authors for using so many interesting examples throughout the book. I am at the half way point for my anthropology class, and yet, this book has me entranced and eager to learn more on the Real Neandertal and the cultural advancements of the Upper Paleolithic era!

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty dry. Not the best textbook.

[Holly Keimig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthropology textbook, good coverage of a broad topic.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to anthropology.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awesome class, excruciatingly boring textbook

[H3dakota · Rating 3 out of 5]

Textbook for class, partly high level intro to anthropology with some sections going further into detail than I'd expected for an intro level class (specifically around kinship).

[Sadaad · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book