A Degree in a Book: Anthropology: Everything You Need to Know to Master the Subject - In One Book!: 6 Paperback – 15 Nov. 2021

I haven't read it all yet, but it seems very comprehensive, tackling all areas of philosophical thought from early times to the present. It's based on a range of degree courses.

The book is very nicely laid out and illustrated. It’s hardly a ‘degree in a book’ as the cover claims but it should be useful for anyone considering studying anthropology.

Comprehensive account of how our lives are influenced

I would highly recommend this book to anyone thinking of studying Anthropology. Morris gives a clear historical background to the discipline as well as showing the ways in which Anthropologists are tackling the recent challenges of our time.

Great book, really well put together

I like DK books and I wanted to get to know some interesting anthropological studies. This is not what this delivers. I don’t know what it does deliver.It is basically a book that seems premised on the idea that globalisation has made anthropology as we knew it, redundant, so just rehearses without hard evidence or contra argument, a left agenda such as “immigration is a good thing not a bad thing.” Well, I am on the left and I agree with that sentiment but I didn’t buy an anthropology book to be told that over and over without detail or facts to back it up or with the level of political debate you would expect in a political science book.If anthropology is redundant due to globalisation don’t bother publishing an Anthropology textbook. I would have asked for a refund but I read it too late after purchase.

Credit given where it is due, this book does set out some of the themes that seem to be central to the discipline of anthropology. I found these sections of the book very helpful. Unfortunately, the value of this book’s overall contribution is greatly reduced by the great sections of commentary that are political rhetoric passed off as science.The author’s progressive politics clearly influence her scholarship. I will cite but one example to make my point. In the chapter on ‘Globalisation’, she defines ‘The Slave Trade’ only in terms of the transatlantic trade while ignoring all else that went before. As slavery continues to affect people today, it is clearly an important subject that needs to be discussed in a much more comprehensive way.As this book purports to be “everything you need to know” and a "degree in a book”, I would have hoped that anthropology could offer greater insights than that offered here by someone who has been clearly influenced by Critical Theorists and is seeking to pursue an agenda rather than ’science’.

A Degree in a Book: Anthropology is a book that takes you on a journey as to the how and where of anthropological research. It covers all the major concepts that have defined the discipline and merges early advancements in the field with contemporary studies. Although the emphasis is on anthropology throughout Europe and the United States, it does offer global insight into the topic, too. Happily, it draws on some of the most underappreciated and underrepresented scholars, those of colour, female anthropologists and researchers in what became known as the global south. Focusing mainly on the way the discipline was institutionalised in the 19th century into an academic area of study, the book does also acknowledge those who played early pioneering roles in studying and documenting cultural differences and diversity around the world. It unpacks what anthropology actually is before introducing the different frameworks anthropologists use to comprehensively understand human cultures.While the focus is primarily on social and cultural anthropology as the largest fields within the subject, it does touch upon biological anthropology and archaeological and linguistic anthropology and how they interact to provide different lenses with which to view and explain questions on human variety and unity. By the end of the book, you will have much more of an understanding of what it means to be human and the use of introductions to key figures in the field and their influence over their respective areas, highlighted definitions crucial to understanding the topic and diagrams and images to help you to grasp arguably some of the more complex concepts, it has multiple ways to learn the information. A fascinating, sprawling and excellent introduction to anthropological concepts but also a great refresher for those who are perhaps a little rusty. Accessible, informative and readable and set out in digestible chunks, this is a solid and engaging guide. Highly recommended.