Introduction to Physical Anthropology

Rating:
Summary: I was FASCINATED, and I am not even in Anthropology
Review: ...if you're an academic masochist. I myself had the pleasure of sitting through this entire book for my Anthropology class (yes, I read the entire thing) and it wasn't the most pleasurable experience I've ever had. This book is dry and without even the occasional quasi-sense of humor found in other school text. Speaking as a student, it took a while to absorb all the information, if only because it was so boring. I have to agree with the other reviewers that this book sucks.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a real pleasure...
Review: ...if you're an academic masochist. I myself had the pleasure of sitting through this entire book for my Anthropology class (yes, I read the entire thing) and it wasn't the most pleasurable experience I've ever had. This book is dry and analytical with not even the occasional quasi-sense of humor that can be found in other school text. Speaking as a student, reading through a chapter took me at least twice as long as reading the same number of pages in other books, and I still had trouble remembering and understanding its concepts. I have to agree with the other reviewers that this book sucks the life out of the study of human beings.

Rating:
Summary: Boring but comprehensive
Review: An acceptable intro text for physical anthropology. It's overall scope is wide, and it covers the relevant topic, but it's just so . . . dull. It takes a rare person to fall in love with physical anthroplogy after getting through this book. Jurmain et al are in fine anthropological literary form, which means half-asleep and probably on a fiber-reduced diet. This book is so stilted and formulaic that getting through each chapter is a herculean labour. It's also fairly childish in its format, with irritating extra " Try This!" questions at the end of each chapter; the sort you doubtless remember from high school and junior high textbooks and the ones which no one - not even the teacher's pet- ever did. The price is also ridiculously high considering its a non-specialist text for beginners. Come on guys, gimme a break, the right-wing government where I live already believes students are made of money.

Rating:
Summary: I was FASCINATED, and I am not even in Anthropology
Review: This book, despite the other student's words, was fantastic! I read it night after night FOR FUN! It was so interesting, with good pictures too, that I just picked it up off the shelf even though it had nothing to do with my major. I even gave it to my family to read too, especially since they are fundamentalist Christians who have difficulty even conceiving of the idea of human change and development over time. I was not disappointed with this book in the least....in fact, there were many nights I stayed up reading just as long as my eyes would stay open. Fascinting, comprehensive, thorough, and excellently written. BRAVO!

Rating:
Summary: Boring but comprehensive
Review: This is probably THE most boring physical textbook on the market, but it is also the most comprehensive. As an undergrad, I couldn't stay awake through more than a couple of paragraphs at a time. As an anthropologist, I can't think of a better text
to assign to my students. For the serious student, there simply is no way to avoid this book. It set the standard.