Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part I. Introduction to Anthropology -- What Is Anthropology? -- Culture -- Applying Anthropology -- Part II. Physical Anthropology and Archaeology -- Studying the Past -- Evolution and Genetics -- Human Variation and Adaptation -- The Primates -- Early Hominins -- The Genus Homo -- The First Farmers -- The First Cities and States -- Part III. Exploring Cultural Diversity -- Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology -- Language and Communication -- Ethnicity and Race -- Making a Living -- Political Systems -- Gender -- Families, Kinship, and Descent -- Marriage -- Religion -- Arts, Media, and Sports -- Part IV. The Changing World -- The World System and Colonialism -- Global Issues Today

"A recent National Academy of science inductee, Conrad Phillip Kottak offers an up-to-date holistic introduction to anthropology from four-field perspective. Kottak emphasizes why anthropology to better understand themselves.