Antropology Book Review
Anthropology 105
Book Response (Value 20 points)
Length: 750-1000 words, not including quotes or references Times New Roman Double spaced
Late penalty: 1 point per day
Review your worksheet responses to the two assigned books
De Waal, Frans (2016) Are we smart enough to know how smart animals are? New York: W.W. Norton and Company Inc. (ISBN 978-0-393-24618-6)
Wrangham, Richard (2009) Catching Fire: How cooking made us human. Basic Books. (ISBN 978-0465-01362-3)
1) In your introduction, briefly summarize the two books. How are they similar (e.g. both attempt to understand our species in an evolutionary context)? How are they different (e.g. draw upon different kinds of evidence, focus on different issues, reach different kinds of conclusions)?
2) Drawing on specific examples that you find interesting, discuss how each author challenges the idea that humans are truly exceptional - that we cannot understand our behavior in biological or evolutionary terms. In other words, how do De Waal and Wrangham use comparison with extinct or extant primates (and perhaps other animals) to better understand our species, Homo sapiens.
3) What sections or topics covered in each book did you find most interesting and why?
4) In conclusion, how does studying other living and extinct primates provide important perspective on our own species?
All papers should include a descriptive title. Please keep direct quotes to a minimum and follow APA or MLA citation guidelines.