The Past in Perspective: An Introduction to Human Prehistory [Paperback]

Kenneth L. Feder (Author), Kenneth Feder (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0072549386 | ISBN-13: 978-0072549386 | Publication Date: July 28, 2003 | Edition: 3rd

This engaging, up-to-date, chronological introduction presents human prehistory within a framework of themes, issues, and debates. Featuring a consistent chapter format and an appropriate level of detail for students with no previous exposure to archaeology, it also offers outstanding pedagogy including maps, timelines (interactive on the companion Online Learning Center), chapter summaries, lists of key terms, 16 pages of full color photos, and more!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The quality of the prose, Feder's ability to humanize and personalize the material without losing its scientific rigor, and the balance between global coverage and a clear emphasis on a selection of essential topics--all are reasons I have used this text for years, and I intend to keep using it."--Douglas Bamforth, University of Colorado

"I like the use of the first-person, and I think many undergraduate students will relate well to this style of writing. I also like how The Past in Perspective focuses on issues and debates within the field and encourages students to think for themselves. It is up-to-date, easy to read, and quite comprehensive."--Dean Wheeler, Glendale Community College

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Ken Feder received his Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Connecticut in 1982. He is a full professor in the Department of Anthropology at Central Connecticut State University where he has taught since 1977. He is the founder and director of the Farmington River Archaeological Project, an on-going survey of an inland, upland valley in north central Connecticut. He is the author of several books including Human Antiquity: An Introduction to Physical Anthropology and Archaeology (with Michael Park); Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology; A Village of Outcasts: Historical Archaeology and Documentary Research at the Lighthouse Site; The Past in Perspective: An Introduction to Human Prehistory; Field Methods in Archaeology (co-editor with Tom Hester and Harry Shafer); Lessons from the Past: An Introductory Reader in Archaeology (editor); and Dangerous Places: Health, Safety, and Archaeology (co-edited with David Poirier). He is a Fellow of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. He has been the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award at Central Connecticut State University. He has appeared on a number of television documentaries about archaeology for BBC Horizon, the History Channel, and the Learning Channel. He lives in West Simsbury, Connecticut with his wife, two sons, and three bad cats.

Product Details

• Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 3rd edition (July 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072549386
• ISBN-13: 978-0072549386
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #331,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Putting more than the past into perspective, March 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Past in Perspective: An Introduction to Human Prehistory (Paperback)

Kenneth Fader's "The Past In Perspective" is a book designed for those who wish to learn the basics regarding the field of archaelology. Focusing on the cultural evolutions of mankind, Fader never lapses into the jargon so popularly found in some textbooks. This is a book designed to introduce over five million years of human evolution, so naturally it is best for those who are new to the topic. Although I used this book for my archeology class, it contains information that could interest anyone with a flair for history. All in all, it is easy of to follow and does its best to represent all sides of arguments that are presented, although at times it seems to stress a war between religous and evolutionary ideas that may, or may not exist as much as the author would like them to.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong on Fossil Forms, Weak on Latter-Day Cultures, January 18, 2006

By 

Paul V. McDowell "Anthropologist and Social J... (Santa Barbara, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Past in Perspective: An Introduction to Human Prehistory (Paperback)

I have used this book for about three years in my archaeology class, discontinuously I must admit. It's good for those who want a strong biological perspective in humankind's cultural evolution, but it comes up short when it comes to regional civilizations. Treatment of the state-level societies in each region (e.g., Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Mesoamerica, Andean America) could be more detailed, and the book would be easier to follow if it used a sequence of culture model for each region from its Neolithic to florescence to decline. In treating fossil hominids and their material culture, from the earliest human and humanlike forms through the Lower Paleolithic to the Mesolithic traditions and their makers, however, this is a solid presentation.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great overview of human development, June 2, 2010

By 

Mark W. Bohrer "Technology Writer & Documenta... (Saratoga, California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Past in Perspective: An Introduction to Human Prehistory (Paperback)

This was the text for an intro to archaeology course I ended up dropping. Since I'll be signing up for the course again next spring, I decided to read it anyway.

Most of my archaeology background comes from books like Lekson's The Architecture of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico (Chaco Canyon Series), Cordell's Prehistory of the Southwest (New World Archaeological Record), and Reed's Chaco's Northern Prodigies: Salmon, Aztec, and the Ascendancy of the Middle San Juan Region after AD 1100 on Ancestral Puebloans (AKA Anasazi or Hisatsinom) in the Four Corners area. So it's good to get a more general background from Feder.

Feder weaves recent research into his narrative, making his book as current as books get.

He also discusses different methods of dating, and many other techniques that reveal prehistoric cultures.

His descriptions of field research in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe make me want to do fieldwork even more, especially after exploring Chacoan Great Houses and Anasazi outliers.

A faculty member in West Valley College's Park Management program recommended Renfrew's Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice (Fifth Edition) as a more complete text. I haven't read it so I don't know how it compares.

Feder's Past in Perspective reads a bit more like a New York Times bestseller than a textbook.

His out-of-print Lessons From the Past: An Introductory Reader in Archaeology reprints relatively recent articles about unusual archaeological applications in forensics, and in reconstruction of recent history, like combatant movements during the battle of the Little Bighorn.

Both books will give you a general idea of what archaeology is about.