Physical Anthropology

by Philip L. Stein, Bruce M. Rowe

Since the first edition of Physical Anthropology , over a quarter century ago, Stein and Rowe have been helping to teach physical anthropology to tens of thousands of students. In this new edition, these award winning teachers and authors continue to share their love of discovery with students in this balanced, objective introduction to physical anthropology that does not assume that students have any previous knowledge of the subject. Carefully streamlined, making it more accessible and affordable, this seventh edition provides students with a pedagogical program designed to facilitate comprehension. Every concept is carefully explained and illustrated, guiding students step-by-step through difficult material. Despite changes in organization and length, this text maintains its emphasis on three important themes. First, that anthropology is a holistic discipline, second, that human beings are an integral part of nature, and third, because humans depend on learned behavior, our maintenance of a balance with nature can be strengthened by an understanding of our evolutionary past. As always, Stein and Rowe use the most current data to unravel the mystery of the evolution of humankind, and to examine the dynamic relationship between humans and their environment.

Genres: Anthropology, Science, Nonfiction, History, Textbooks

531 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1974

Reviews

[Sohvi]

A bit old, I would recommend something newer to read since especially genetics have gone so much forward in such a short time. This book is also missing some more recent and important fossil findings. And some slightly out-of-date concepts that were not questioned because they were still considered relevant in 1996. Suitable for critical readers.

Otherwise okay-ish book if you need some basic knowledge about physical anthropology as a field. Quite America-centric. One hilariously patriotic info-box about inventions made in America (in relation to population IQ).

[Chris Gager]

Looking for and older intro text but I'll settle for this one. Took my first Physical Anthropolgy course at Metro State in the fall of 1971. The teacher was a middle-aged, middle European gent with a pronounced accent. I wonder how he wound up teaching in Denver? From him I learned the correct pronunciation of Cro-Magnon(Croh Mahn-YONE/OWN, i.e. french). Date read is approximate.