As a previous sociology and philosophy student I was drawn to this book. A little like a revision lesson it explains the history of human kind in a very digestible way. Recommended.

I love the Know It All books they have books on many topics that help you grow your knowledge, and the Anthropology one was my favorite. I've always loved and been interested in anthropology, this book helps you learn more bout the history of humans and the bones. Anthropology is a vast and complex topic and this book is a great place to begin learning about the history of humans. I for one have always been a fan of Kathy Reichs, reading her books was my first introduction to anthropology and I've grown from there and I'm glad that they're putting educational books out on the topic.

2.5 Stars

I have always been fascinated by science of all kinds, name a discipline and I'll have looked into it; I took three separate science subjects during my final years in high school and I would have taken the other two if I had been allowed. I've been curious about anthropology since I first watched the TV series Bones and then read the first novel in the series the show was based off. As a result of my love and curiosity of all things science, there was not a whole heap of content in this book that I hadn't come across before.

While I think this is great resource for someone just discovering anthropology and wanting to know the basics quickly; this struggled to hold my attention. I think the major reason for the struggle was the lack of cohesion in writing style between contributors; some entries read like a very dry scientific paper or textbook while others felt more like a nonfiction book aimed at preteens. I have nothing against either style of writing but the disparity between the often left me struggling to adjust and the second I felt like I had fallen into the rhythm of the new entry, it was on to the next one and a switch again.

I'm not a huge fan of the formatting of this volume either, a few times I was convinced I'd already read an entry covering the same subject two chapters earlier and I often felt the more interesting aspects were glossed over. The glossaries between each chapter were very repetitive, something I also noticed in the previous instalment I read (Know It All Fashion), I think Homo Sapien was defined in 4 out of 7 glossaries and as a result some defintions didn't fit into the glossaries until after the chapter they appeared in. I think the glossaries in general would benefit for some re-organisation.

I absolutely love science/knowledge-type books that present the reader tidbits of information on different subjects. If you want more, you can always look for more, but this is short and on point what anthropology and different branches of it are all about - plus I really liked the collage images that were presented with each subject (I noticed this is a thing with this kind of science book in recent years, and I like it).

Now I do not know if all the things presented here make in the 50 top of most important ideas in anthropology, but you can make a rough idea about what anthropology does - although in my opinion it focused a bit too much on the early early days of homo sapiens and how we got to where we are, which gives the reader a nice base, but it does feel like it ignored more contemporary ideas.

Anyway, fun book, easy to understand and I learned quite a bit!

This is a great series, and I would definitely buy it for a gift for a anthropology lover. Very informative.

A short and to the point introduction to the wide field of Anthropology. I really enjoyed the succinct yet clear way in which Underdown explained his '50 Most Important Ideas' in Anthropology. Even for a complete novice, 'Know It All Anthropology' makes for a great introduction. I would definitely recommend it and will keep my eyes out for more books of the same collection.

Are you interested in learning about Anthropology? This book is a great way to learn more about this scientific subject. The book features the 50 most important ideas in Anthropology and explains each of them in under a minute.

The 50 main ideas are grouped into 7 part with a introduction. The ideas are Evolution, The Human Species, Materials, Socialization and Communication, Migration, Ideas, and Modern Peoples. Each subject starts off with a glossary so you are not totally lost when it comes to the scientific terms. There is a profile of one scientist in each of the groups. There is approximately 20 to 30 pages on each idea as well to give you a good understanding without over doing the idea or boring the reader.

This book is great for older kids as well as adults. Very informative and actually teaches you a lot.

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

A decent introduction to the subject of Anthropology, particularly for someone interested in the subject as an academic path. By no means is it a complete academic reference guide but I think that's a good thing. Having majored in Anthropology I am entirely biased about the subject as being not only worthy of interest but I'd argue that it provides an excellent framework for anyone and everyone. It can be a bit academic or niche at times and I liked that the Know-It-All guide is more approachable. The guide provides factoids to impress your friends or help you memorize details that are likely to appear on tests but it is still more cliff notes than textbook. Highly recommend to high school seniors or college freshmen curious to know what's interesting about Anthropology.

My son-in-law loves this series and now I know why! Know It All Anthropology is fascinating! I love everything about the book. It presents 50 of the most important ideas and concepts in 21st century anthropology in a very quick, readable and understandable way.

The 50 main ideas are grouped into 7 chapters: Evolution, The Human Species, Materials, Socialization and Communication, Migration, Ideas, and Modern Peoples. Each chapter begins with a glossary of terms, includes a nice biography of someone whose work was key to the contents of the chapter and describes the main points related to that chapter.

Each point has a main entry describing the point in detail, a 3-minute descent which places the idea in the wider context of being human, and a 3-second origin which sums up the idea in a single sentence. Also listed are related topics, a 3-second biography of someone key to that idea and a know expert on the idea.

I really enjoyed getting a wide-breadth of knowledge about the subject in small, understandable chunks. It made everything fall into place. I can only assume the other books in the Know it All series are as intriguing and well-done.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for allowing me the privilege of reading an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of quick reads like this! Great for an intro to all you need to know about anthropology. And the book blurb didn't lie, I was able to read it in just over an hour. This book really does tell you a little bit of everything. From evolution to migration to modern people, I learned something about everything. I think it would make a perfect gift for anyone who has an interest in the topic, and would like a little more information.

I have received a much appreciated digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Really interesting read and knowledgable. I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious about anthropology

#KnowItAllAnthropology #NetGalley #KnowItAll

Once more, this new book of the collection Know It All is great. The book is an excellent introduction to Anthropology that can be used by college or university students starting on the domain of social sciences.

Part of a series of books that look into different study areas of science, Know It All: Anthropology is one of the latest installments in a series of books that gives a glimpse into a subject and does it really well.

Looking at different parts of Anthropology, this book is chunked down into different parts, including the human species and materials from there we have different topics all given in bite size form. Informative and concise these pages are really good but also connect really well to other topics in the book allowing for a more rounded understanding of the subject.

At the beginning of each chapter is a glossary of terms which is really useful in understanding the terms used in the book - this book is easy to get to grips with but the glossary allows for better understanding and these pages are useful. I also enjoy the double spread pages on different anthropologists, particular Margaret Mead, someone who I’ve admired for their work for some time - it’s a good way to know these people better.

A really great book to introduce you to a vast and complex topic, Know It All: Anthropology is a place to begin if you’re interested in this subject as it covers it all in a concise and easy to get way. Highly recommend.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley for a honest review).

As with the other books in this series, this is a beautifully produced introduction to a very complex topic. In this case, anthropology is broken down into bite size chunks, with each then also having 3 second synopses in the margin, plus key ideas, people and related topics highlighted. There are also handy glossaries throughout the book and some lovely illustrations.

I'd recommend this to anyone with an interest in finding out more about anthropology. Personally, I found it very detailed and interesting, although it wouldn't perhaps be my first choice of topic.

Spoiler: I have been watching far too much Bones over the past few weeks. I know, I know - it’s utter trash and probably not even close to being accurate, but anytime she spouts off one of her anthropological facts, it just makes me want to delve in deeper to the topic.
I just want to be as bad-ass as her, okay? I know I never will, but I can’t help myself.
Because of all of my time binging the show, and my foray into sociology (Anthropology’s less history-focussed cousin), I knew a little of what to expect going into the book but honestly, I was just so surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The art style is so damn cool and more importantly, the information is incredibly accessible - due to how the book is set out, people can choose how in-depth they want their information to be and because of this, it is extremely easy to navigate.
Honestly, overall I think Know It All Anthropology would serve as a great introduction to anyone who wants to learn more on the subject - with the added bonus of it looking pretty damn great on anyone’s coffee table.

Interesting little handbook about anthropology and its most important scientists. If you know nothing about the topic, this book is an easy was to get to know the subject.

Interessante piccolo manuale sull'antropologia e sulle sue figure primarie. Se l'argomento vi é completamente sconosciuto, questo potrebbe essere un facile approccio.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

I have to admit to struggling a little with this book. The problem? I have a degree in Anthropology.
Perhaps the large number of contributors, as well as the need to write to the formula of the 3-second, 3 minutes moments etc have made it seem a little awkward. There are grand sweeping statements almost hidden in corners seemingly without any arguments to back them up. For example, the page on race has the statement that there is no such thing a race when it comes to different human beings almost hidden in the side and down the bottom. I would have liked to see some more specific concepts examined in more detail. Much that was discussed can be found in many other disciplines, but anthropology has some concepts like ‘cultural relativism’ or ‘structural violence’ that you’re not going to find in a book on biology.
The illustrations are brilliant (One could even possibly write an anthropological essay on how the illustrations use collage techniques to show wide cultural examples). I did enjoy the biographies of the major anthropologists.
This book would work best for high-school students, or those just dipping their toes in. The selection of further reading in the back was very good. I’ve read quite a few of those texts.

Interesting read on several different topics within the broader Anthropology field. Great way to whet your appetite and fan the flames of an interest in Anthropology and the Humanities as a whole.

Very well-written reflection on 50 of the most important ideas and concepts in anthropology.

The book is divided into seven chapters; Evolution, The human species, Materials, Socialization & communication, Migration, Ideas and Modern people. The chapters each start with a handy glossary. After that the ideas and concepts are discribed on single page entries. Each entry describes one anthropological concept. The concepts are described in an easy to read manner and the pages are beautifully illustrated.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about anthropology.

-Netgalley Review-
9.7/10

I walked in reading this book with very few expectations; I have never read anything by author before, but I was interested in anthropology and how the author had intended to distill the key concepts, theories, and the figures behind the driving innovations and studies down into so,ething easily accessible. To be honest, I had my reservations about this book, and I am happy to report that I was wrong.

This book offers a sharp and comprehensive look into the nature of humanity, what happened, and what the future have in store for us as individuals and as a collective. The book offers a well-written anthropological perspective juxtaposed with philosophical and cultural context from history using brilliantly created graphics and a curated list of important figures within the field, and simple language. An interesting read that enriched my cultural landscape and my understanding of the field, which admittedly never extentded beyond hollywood shows surrounding forensic anthropology and some vague idea of what the field studies. The writing was not confusing nor is it filled with jargon, yet it conveys the expertise of the author and his intended message just fine.

An amazing read that I finished in less than a day due to the amazing writing and the intrinsic value offered by the book as it is easy to read and designed to be finished in a thirty-minute binge session. .

Would recommend to readers interested in looking to expand their knowledge and understanding about the achievements of humanity after we made it this far, philosophy in relation humans, and/or just a good look at what anthropology is all about. Admittedly, it is a more obscure field of study when comparing it to physics or even other social sciences like psychology, but it is well worth the time to find out. This is an enriching read that offer sharp insights regardless of your level of knowledge and is bound to fascinate. Would highly recommend this book.