The best known, most often cited history of anthropological theory is finally available in paperback! First published in 1968, Harris's book has been cited in over 1,000 works and is one of the key documents explaining cultural materialism, the theory associated with Harris's work. This updated edition included the complete 1968 text plus a new introduction by Maxine Margolis, which discusses the impact of the book and highlights some of the major trends in anthropological theory since its original publication. RAT, as it is affectionately known to three decades of graduate students, comprehensively traces the history of anthropology and anthropological theory, culminating in a strong argument for the use of a scientific, behaviorally-based, etic approach to the understanding of human culture known as cultural materialism. Despite its popularity and influence on anthropological thinking, RAT has never been available in paperback_until now. It is an essential volume for the library of all anthropologists, their graduate students, and other theorists in the social sciences.

Before consciousness formed and tools were made, before speech was learned and cultures were established, before religion, society, politics, and war, came a simple evolutionary change: one primate, our common ancestor, took the first upright step. So begins our family history ... the story told by Marvin Harris in Our Kind. The tale explores topics as varied as how the different races arose; why marriage and the nuclear family were established; why we overeat; how men came to dominate politics; why women have longer life-spans; why yuppies are such conspicuous consumers; how war has come to overshadow us, and whether it always will ... and a great deal more. --