Anthropologists Joy Hendry and Simon Underdown offer the first introductory guide to explore both the biological and social study of humanity, from the roots of the Homo genus, to the traits that all humans share, to the vast range of our sacred rituals. They bring anthropology to life with case studies, explaining why witchcraft was so feared in seventeenth-century England but is embraced in contemporary Sudan, as well as what our relationship with mobile phones (and the bathroom) tells us about ourselves. Covering key study topics, including heirarchy, social identity, rites of passage, and the impact of globalization, this is the essential first step to understanding anthropology - for students and people working in the globalized world alike.

The human body -- Ways of thinking and communicating -- Organizing social relations -- Engaging with nature -- Personhood -- Rituals, ceremony, and identity -- Ways of belonging -- The global species -- Anthropology in the age of global communication -- Practising anthropology.