anthropology

Great Readings

This document consists of great books or articles on Anthropology. Some are here because there is a course covering the same material; some are just great books that you should read at some point in your career.

Once you have made it through most of the curriculum, knowing whether a book is worth your time will become easier. Or, if you are struggling in one of the courses, perhaps reading a book on the subject will help.

Name Author(s)
Think Like an Anthropologist Matthew Engelke
Gods of the Upper Air: How a Circle of Renegade Anthropologists Reinvented Race, Sex, and Gender in the Twentieth Century Charles King
Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art Rebecca Wragg Sykes
Evolution’s Bite: A Story of Teeth, Diet, and Human Origins Peter S. Ungar
The Interpretation of Cultures Clifford Geertz
Argonauts of the Western Pacific Bronislaw Malinowski
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Yuval Noah Harari
History of Anthropological Thought V.S. Upadhyay and Gaya Pandey; free alternative: Anthropological Theory for the Twenty-First Century (open access chapters available)