Our Origins: Discovering Physical Anthropology - Softcover

Larsen, Clark Spencer

3.72

251 ratings by Goodreads

9780393977370: Our Origins: Discovering Physical Anthropology

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0393977374 ISBN 13: 9780393977370

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2008

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With an unparalleled art program, Our Origins is an accessible, up-to-date text that focuses on anthropology's big questions and the scientific process.

A leader in the field and an experienced teacher, Clark Larsen focuses not on encyclopedic details but on the "big picture," getting students to see and think like anthropologists. Larsen covers all the major aspects of physical anthropology, including genetics, primatology, and the fossil record. He also provides the strongest coverage of bioarchaeology on the market.

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About the Author:

Clark Spencer Larsen heads the Department of Anthropology at Ohio State University, Columbus. A native of Nebraska, he received his B.A. from Kansas State University and M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Clark’s research is in bioarchaeology, skeletal biology, and paleoanthropology. He has worked in North America, Europe, and Asia. He has taught at the University of Massachusetts, Northern Illinois University, Purdue University, and the University of North Carolina. Since 2001, he has been a member of the faculty at Ohio State, where he is a Distinguished Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences. He teaches introductory physical anthropology, osteology, bioarchaeology, and paleoanthropology. Clark has served as president of the American Associations of Physical Anthropologists and as editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. In addition to Our Origins, he has authored or edited 25 books and monographs, including Bioarchaeology; Interpreting Behavior from the Human Skeleton, Skeletons in Our Closet, Advances in Dental Anthropology; and A Companion to Biological Anthropology.

Review:

“I tell other instructors that Our Origins is the best introductory text available. I think that it’s great because it provides enough information but not too much. It doesn’t overwhelm the students, so they actually do the reading.”
- Emily Brunson, University of Washington

“[Students] are very enthusiastic about the book, and many comment that they are reading ahead of the lectures just for fun. I think the illustrations also are very attractive and draw students into the text.”
- Margaret Streeter, Boise State

“This text does a good job of narrowing down the field into something that can be presented in a single semester. I was impressed with the quality of the images. The double-page summary figures were extremely effective in summarizing the main points and highlighting important concepts.”
- Sara Lynch, Queens College

“I found the text immediately attractive in a number of ways: very clearly and logically organized, very complete, written in a very engaging and approachable style, great pedagogical tools, and wonderful visuals.”
- Chris Loeffler, Irvine Valley College

“This is an interesting text that explains much of the material in a more engaging way than most texts on the market.”
- Mark Griffin, San Francisco State

“I love the ‘Big Questions’ at the beginning of each chapter. This really is a helpful tool for students, so that they can focus on the main aspects of each chapter. The visuals are great! Most students are visual learners and seeing the illustrations and pictures aids in the learning process.”
- Victoria Buresch, Glendale Community College

“The text is well written. The single author provides excellent continuity in theme and tone.”
- Thomas Wynn, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

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