The anthropology approach is kind of fun.
939042
The anthropology approach is a little quirky but kind of fun.  The characters are fun and the acting is believable.
697669
I'd never played any of the Far Cry games, so I wasn't sure what to expect. In terms of the fighting mechanics and the story, Far Cry Primal is pretty bland. You're a caveman and have to defeat enemy tribes in order to build your own. You can attack enemies with clubs, spears, and arrows.

What really impresses me about Far Cry Primal is just how well to recreates a prehistoric world. Ubisoft packed an incredible amount of detail into this world. Turn out the lights and you feel like you're really part of an early tribe of humans 10,000 years ago. Seeing mammoths, sabertooth tigers, and other prehistoric fauna was a thrill.

Of course, this is a video game, not a history simulator. It's obviously not completely realistic. The human technology is usually depicted as appropriately primitive, but there there are a few tools that were likely beyond the abilities of neolithic humans. Also, your character has the ability to tame wild beats and use them as hunting companions. Neolithic peoples certainly trained dogs, but I doubt they had pet Leopards. It's extremely fun hunting with a Leopard, but not realistic.

For anybody with an interest in prehistoric anthropology or fauna, I definitely recommend checking this game out. I don't know if it really has enough to sustain most hardcore gamers, but it's surprisingly fun and rewarding to see your tribe expand in power.
1178821
This is an interesting, and newish, approach to the "relationships" field. I have some issues with this approach, though; first, I believe, merely from looking back at my own history, that our "attachment styles" are much more muddled and malleable than the authors concede. And this calls into question the rather single-minded thrust of advice ("This relationship is doomed; get out now") they are giving. Hmm, "effective communication" will get you out of many jams. I don't think I've EVER heard THAT one before (wink wink). This criticism aside, the analysis of "protest behaviour" is good, and the general notion that "attachment" issues are moulded by stress is compelling. So all in all, better than "Men are from Mars ...", certainly.
652497
This book has the feel of many novels about secret groups with insidious motivations, but the motivations here are not a horrible thing - helping folks stay married. And the narrator is a marriage counselor as part of his day to day job. But the methods, the methods, oy! I enjoyed the factoids about marriage and divorce, along with the slow unfolding what was really happening. Does it all make sense that an organization would go to these lengths? No. Does it work anyway? Mostly yes. Portion of the end not all that surprising, but the ride there is a lot of fun, and anticipation does not detract. For a "horror" novel, this book can also make you think about relationships, what makes them strong, and what type of work goes into building a good one.
1683213
The author takes the well-worn legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine, avidly sought by amateur treasure hunters in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona for more than a century, and turns it into something new and exciting. By adding sinister government conspiracies, elements of crypto-archaeology, new theories about the origin of humanity and the antiquity of civilization, and new ways of decoding our mythic past, she changes what would have been a serviceable but run-of-the-mill adventure tale into an engrossing and mentally challenging novel that gives you plot twists at every turn.

Although many of the elements she introduces into the story--million-year-old human footprints, ancient spark plugs, and skeletons of prehistoric giants for example--seem quite unbelievable, they are in fact quite real, and quite ignored by mainstream science, dismissed because they do not fit into established dogma. Anyone who has read the "Lost Cities" books of David Hatcher Childress of the iconoclastic archaeology books of Peter Kolosimo will recognize most of the artifacts and theories used to provide a framework to this story.

An archaeologist is dismissed and disgraced when she finds tools and human remains more than a quarter-million years old, from a period long before the accepted human habitation of North America. At the same time, an anthropologist goes in search of his brother, lost with a friend in the Superstition Mountains, and finds cover-ups of murders going back more than a century. The paths of the archaeologist and anthropologist eventually cross, and they both find themselves in danger of becoming the latest victims of the greatest cover-up the world has ever known.

The author does a great job of documenting the rigid control maintained by the scientific establishment and the fates of those scientists who try to rewrite the accepted history of humanity through their inconvenient discoveries--the artifacts are "lost" and the discoverers are made into pariahs. In the book, the offenders are not famous or powerful, but even a stellar reputation would not have saved them from disgrace, proven by the real-life example of Louis Leakey, whose stature in the field of anthropology did not prevent his fall from grace when he began to advocate the extreme antiquity of the Calico (Calif) Early Man Site. While such fascist tactics in the real world revolve around the acquisition of power and monetary grants (as far as we know), it exists in the book to protect national security.

The author moves the story along at a brisk pace with non-stop action, constantly shifting between locations and time periods. If there was any weakness in the story for me, it was that the scenes set in the far distant past (the meaning of the names soon dawn upon the reader) did not have an aura of antiquity; with the vocabulary and descriptions, it might have been the Forties of Fifties rather than many thousands of years removed. But this is a minor quibble on my part. Overall, it's a book that will appeal to lovers of adventures and scientific mysteries.
1996600
I read a few of the chapters of this book for a course, and later in preparing for my own ethnographic work. Kamala Viswesweran discusses what feminist anthropologists and experimental ethnographers can learn from each other, and proposes new avenues for feminist ethnography.  According to Viswesweran, feminist anthropology has followed two broad trends: women-centered and decentered.  Women-centered feminist anthropology studies womens experiences and histories whereas decentered feminist anthropology focuses not on women themselves but on either their relationships to men or on relationships among men.  Viswesweran calls for combining the two in research that would focus on womens relationships to other women, while paying attention to power differentials.  Such attention would require feminist anthropologists to challenge the notion of a universal sisterhood and to confront their own position of privilege as Western women vis-a-vis the women they study.
1233290
This book is a different look at Human Sexual Behavior and I, for one, believe it.  The book is written in a humorous style that puts forth its serious ideas in an amusing and easy reading way.  I am a middle aged white woman and my college student, possible Anthropology major, daughter is also reading it.  Our sexual discussions have really gotten interesting.  It's my new way of looking at life.
1636354
This set does something very unusual for documentaries, particularly Hitler Channel productions, these days:  It goes out and shows you the constructions that it's talking about (and a striking number of these ancient engineering feats remain in show-and-tell-able condition).  Oh, there are computer-graphic explanations of details -- for example, the Aztec aqueduct system or the process by which boats were moved along Darius's canal.  And some fairly restrained re-enactments provide a bit of action, as well as historical context.  Otherwise, though, lovely images of the actual objects at issue form the centerpiece(s) of each segment.

Peter Weller's purposefully conversational narration lapses only occasionally into dude-speak, and anyway, he can be forgiven a snarky comment or two while he gamely climbs up, down, in, over, under and through the assembled relics of the human past (in their varied states of disrepair).  He certainly generates an infectious enthusiasm for his subject, and he communicates quite a bit of information in an accessible manner.

I might have liked to see more technological nitty-gritty on some of the innovations, but in general, this series has rather more heft than one might expect from the mainstream infotainment production houses.  I, too, am slightly irritated that the Rome volume will be a separate purchase -- but I'll be picking it up, just the same.
3732768
Although a bit dated (1996), the information seems accurate to that date and is fascinating to read. The author interviewed a seemingly unending number of famous anthropologists, went to many of their field sites, examined the crucial fossils, and has woven the enormous amount of factual information into the plot twists worthy of a novel.
4673720
Macdonald, an Aussie journalist, lived in India for two years and in HOLY COW tells a few pretty entertaining stories.

She gets drunk and dirty during Holi, does a Vipassana retreat, meets a few sadhus (holy men) and goes to the Kumbh Meta every-12-years Hindu festival.  Along the way she meets freaks, social climbers, uptight (as well as way-too relaxed) Indians, generals and street people.

The book is pretty funny, and Macdonald learned enough Hindi to meet some interesting people.  However, the book is really little more than artfully re-arranged journalism.  The narrator has a weird experience, makes you laugh, and then moves on to the next activity.  "Did Vipassana-- can't maintain the discipline necessary to keep it up-- so now will try yoga."

As a touristic intro to India, this is fine stuff-- funny and occasianally moving-- but it stays pretty much on the surface.
3878790
A root text in cultural anthropology, but dated and clearly a case of 'armchair anthropology'. Nonetheless Frazier has archived zillions of myths from cultures around the world and there are great stories and rich material for any creative venture. The overall premise is forced, though it influenced many others and started a new discipline.
4796515
Java Man mixes history, paleo-anthropology and journalism. It discusses the history of the Java Man find in Indonesia early last century. Then the paleo-anthropological significance of the find and it's associated historical controversies. I think the authors tell us that Java Man has variously been pigeonholed into as many as nine different species since he was dug up. And to round off they provides us with a blow by blow account of the modern controversies surrounding Java Man.

In particular they outline the recent ding dong battle between geo-chronologists (scientists who date dead things for a living) and anthropologists (the 'traditional' custodians of our knowledge of pre-humans). A new age tribal turf war with money, prestige, organisational loyalty and big man reputation at stake. Interestingly enough Java Man himself was probably modern enough to understand all that sort of thing. A worthy read for anyone interested in the real world of bruised ego science.
3758239
It is not a common thing to find an Ethnography that's actually FUN to read. This book is the exception. I highly recommend this book!
768200
Quite fun and funny.  Most of the goofiness of our culture lampooned. The truth about ancient civilization explained.  I am certain the authorities want to keep a lid on it.
2762695
Actually quite fun! Seems more likely to guess correctly if you stick to the main categories.
1125171
Auel is a skilled writer.
 I liked the fact that the author is allowed to discuss hominid telepathy without being kicked out of her genre and into the realm of fantasy,...  Learning some of the cultural and "lithic" facts via fiction was more fun than the research by which I usually get that knowledge.
 I think it's pretty ridiculous that Aule is taking flack because some people think her characters are prehistoric superheroes. Granted, I only read the first one, but the neanderthals at least seemed pretty wimpish compared to what they actually were in real life.
  An average neanderthal could stand on the 10 yard line of a football field and hurl an NFL linebacker through the goal posts with little effort, and they also had much larger brains than moderns and possessed a much higher theshold for pain. Cro-magnons were several times stronger than modern humans as well, with denser bone mass and considerably larger brains. Both races were infinitely more instinctual and able to survive harsh conditions without technology than modern humans.
  If anything, at least in this first book, Aule has diminished the prowess of Pleistocene man, rather than having augmented it.

J. Lyon Layden
The Other Side of Yore
1225200
Anthropology is a collection of 101 101-word micro fictions. The www has given the nano, micro, sudden, flash, postcard, short short, etc. fiction formats an environment in which to proliferate, and they have. The phenomenon is not, in itself, necessarily encouraging. I have to resist the inclination to think of it as literature for people with severely truncated attention spans. But that is probably just wrong-headed. The micro narrative, like haiku, is an art, and as such, can be quite sophisticated. Dan Rhodes is one of the most talented micro artists I've ever come across.

The first story, entitled "Anthropology," begins: "I loved an anthropologist." Already the reader may anticipate tragedy. Worse even than falling in love with a nun or a psychologist, the object of our hero's affection is professionally compelled to embrace foreignness, to incorporate a perspective so liberal in its scope that the cultural foundations of their relationship are doomed to relativity.

Are we even surprised when, in the second sentence, we learn that "She went to Mongolia to study the gays." Not only has she crossed an ocean and ascended to the high plateaus of another continent, but she has embedded herself among people of alternative sexual persuasions. Even with the best of intentions, can the reader realistically expect her to maintain her professional objectivity? Probably not. And sadly, we learn that "she decided that her fieldwork would benefit from assimilation." She needs to be accepted, so she "worked hard to become as much like them as possible."

When the letter arrives ending their romance, we can't help but feel we have witnessed the inevitable. Our hearts ache along with the hero as he imagines her "herding those yaks in the freezing hills, the peak of her leather cap shielding her eyes from the driving wind, her wrist dangling away, and nothing but a handlebar mustache to keep her top lip warm."

Powerful stuff! And there are a hundred more. In Ashes, a young man must decide what to do with the ashes of his recently deceased girlfriend. In Baby, the narrator's girlfriend has been pregnant for over two years. There are some doubts, but the congratulatory day finally arrives. In Beauty, the narrator's girlfriend is so beautiful, "she has never had cause to develop any kind of personality." Is it her absence of personality that allows her to take the consequences of her beauty so nonchalantly in stride? In Binding, a young and somewhat forgetful mother has her baby's best interest at heart when she smashes the infant's toes with a rock. In Blind, the narrator has gone blind and his girlfriend exploits the opportunity to start dressing sloppily. This creates a problem for him that the reader may not see coming.

Charles Bukowski wrote that "Love is all right for those who can handle the psychic overload. It's like trying to carry a full garbage can on your back over a rushing river of piss." In Anthropology, the psychic overload is there, but it's more like trying to balance a glass of champagne over a gurgling stream of laughter. Definitely check it out.