Anthropology: The Exploration of Human Diversity, 11/e
Conrad Phillip Kottak,
University of Michigan- Ann Arbor
ISBN: 0072952482 Copyright year: 2006
Letter from Dr. Kottak
Dear Colleagues,
The new (12th) edition of "Anthropology: The Exploration of Human Diversity" presents anthropology as an integrated four-field discipline that studies human biological and cultural diversity in time and space. Six "Bringing It All Together" essays show how the subfields combine to explain a common topic. A news brief begins each chapter. These 25 news stories (10 new to this edition) show how anthropology's findings routinely attract media attention. One highlights an anthropologist's role in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Another describes some poignant dilemmas that African Americas encounter when they visit Ghana.
There are major content changes, especially in the chapters covering biological anthropology (4-9). In Chapter 4, I now examine the intelligent design controversy, with a new discussion of evolution as fact and theory. I now distinguish hominins (the human line after the split from the African apes) from hominids, which include those apes. Chapter 8 has a new section titled "What Makes Us Human?" This examines bipedalism, the brain, childhood dependency, tools, and teeth. Several new photos enhance the illustration of diversity in primates and early hominins.
I've updated all chapters based on recent writing and new information. For example, to Chapter 13, "Culture", I added a discussion of moral versus methodological meanings of cultural relativism. In Chapter 16, "Making a Living," I updated the Interesting Issues box on Scarcity based on a revisit to Madagascar. Chapter 19 on "Marriage" has a major new comparative section titled "Although Tabooed, Incest Does Happen."
Along with the people it studies, anthropology has changed dramatically. While any competent text must present anthropology's core, as I do, it also should demonstrate anthropology's relevance to today's globalizing world. Accordingly, I've added new discussions of outsourcing and global energy consumption, and a major new section on Indigenous Peoples.
I'd like to share a few particularly gratifying comments by my prepublication reviewers:
Kottak does an excellent job of introducing the basic concepts and practices of anthropology. The chapter order flows nicely, building a superb overview of the discipline.
It's greatest strength is the clarity and vividness of the writing, and the numerous ways in which an effort is made to make the text relevant and interesting to students.
The book has a vibrancy and passion for the field and its subjects that very few textbooks communicate... The visual images are particularly relevant and illuminating.
I'm tremendously enthusiastic about the 12th edition of Anthropology: The Exploration of Human Diversity. Through this letter I hope to share some of that enthusiasm with you. Please feel free to contact me with comments, questions, and ideas (ckottak@bellsouth.net).
All the best,
Conrad Kottak
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2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education