Gap Year Reading Suggestions?

[screencheck]

Hello Archaeologists/Anthropologists!

 

I will be taking a year off before (hopefully) entering a grad program. Any ideas on what to read during this time, as far as theory goes? I'd like to have  a more solid background before jumping right in. I'm interested in the origins of social complexity, inequality and power relations, if that narrows it down a bit. Any suggestions would be appreciated.  

 

thanks!

Edited May 21, 2013 by screencheck

[Monochrome Spring]

I really like Jared Diamond's books. They touch on more evolutionary points, but they do look at social complexity, inequality, and power relations.

 

The Third Chimpanzee - Jared Diamond

This book is about how and why humans came to dominate other apes. It touches on social issues, especially for aborigines that are viewed as "lesser humans".

 

Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond

This book discusses how certain civilizations were able to conquer others through agriculture, invention of guns (with steel), and the spread of germs from adventurers.

 

Collapse - Jared Diamond

This book talks about how human impacts are depleting resources in the environment, and it touches on social inequality through monopoly of resources.

 

The World Until Yesterday - Jared Diamond

I haven't read this one yet, but it talks about what we can learn from traditional societies.

Your Inner Fish - Neil Shubin

This book looks into human evolution and some archaeological finds that contribute to our knowledge of it. It is more about human physiology than social relations, but it's a good short read.

Edited May 21, 2013 by keawood

[screencheck]

I really like Jared Diamond's books. They touch on more evolutionary points, but they do look at social complexity, inequality, and power relations.

 

The Third Chimpanzee - Jared Diamond

This book is about how and why humans came to dominate other apes. It touches on social issues, especially for aborigines that are viewed as "lesser humans".

 

Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond

This book discusses how certain civilizations were able to conquer others through agriculture, invention of guns (with steel), and the spread of germs from adventurers.

 

Collapse - Jared Diamond

This book talks about how human impacts are depleting resources in the environment, and it touches on social inequality through monopoly of resources.

 

The World Until Yesterday - Jared Diamond

I haven't read this one yet, but it talks about what we can learn from traditional societies.

Your Inner Fish - Neil Shubin

This book looks into human evolution and some archaeological finds that contribute to our knowledge of it. It is more about human physiology than social relations, but it's a good short read.

Thanks for the suggestions keawood. I have read Guns, Germs, and Steel and found it to be interesting. However, it seems like Jared Diamond is a bit of a persona non grata in my field (at least this is the impression i get from talking with grad students and faculty in my department). I do think it is of value to understand varying points of view though, so perhaps a flip through some more of his work would be beneficial. 

I see your location is Davis, are you also an Aggie? 

[jmu]

Rigging the Game - Michael Schwalbe

The Anti-Politics Machine - James Ferguson

Sweetness and Power - Sydney Mintz

The History of Sexuality Vol. 1 - Michel Foucault

Europe and the People Without History - Eric Wolf

 

 

I can think of others later but these are the first that come to mind. I, personally, hate Jared Diamond but think he is worth reading.

[Monochrome Spring]

Thanks for the suggestions keawood. I have read Guns, Germs, and Steel and found it to be interesting. However, it seems like Jared Diamond is a bit of a persona non grata in my field (at least this is the impression i get from talking with grad students and faculty in my department). I do think it is of value to understand varying points of view though, so perhaps a flip through some more of his work would be beneficial. 

I see your location is Davis, are you also an Aggie? 

 

Yes, I am an Aggie.

 

I've noticed that Jared Diamond is considered unwelcome in many fields, like he's stepping on too many toes. But I do enjoy the examples he brings up, because one can always look further into them without taking Diamond's opinions.

[screencheck]

Rigging the Game - Michael Schwalbe

The Anti-Politics Machine - James Ferguson

Sweetness and Power - Sydney Mintz

The History of Sexuality Vol. 1 - Michel Foucault

Europe and the People Without History - Eric Wolf

 

 

I can think of others later but these are the first that come to mind. I, personally, hate Jared Diamond but think he is worth reading.

Thanks for the suggestions, jmu. I see a few new names to check out.

 

 

 

Yes, I am an Aggie.

 

I've noticed that Jared Diamond is considered unwelcome in many fields, like he's stepping on too many toes. But I do enjoy the examples he brings up, because one can always look further into them without taking Diamond's opinions.

I also find his arguments interesting, and I can see some validity in them, but I would agree that the conclusions he comes to may not be solid as he makes them out to be. 

[jmu]

Alex Golub treats Diamond pretty fairly here: http://theappendix.net/issues/2013/4/anthropology-footnoted-jared-diamonds-the-world-until-yesterday

 

In geography he is problematic because he comes to conclusions most geographers would never make. Not because they haven't been considered and he is some radical stirring up the pot of academia but because they have been made and long-since abandoned. He just offers a sort of nicer, more humanistic face to environmental determinism. I like Lucy Jarosz response to Guns, Germs, and Steel (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1467-8330.2003.00356.x/abstract).

[screencheck]

Alex Golub treats Diamond pretty fairly here: http://theappendix.net/issues/2013/4/anthropology-footnoted-jared-diamonds-the-world-until-yesterday

 

In geography he is problematic because he comes to conclusions most geographers would never make. Not because they haven't been considered and he is some radical stirring up the pot of academia but because they have been made and long-since abandoned. He just offers a sort of nicer, more humanistic face to environmental determinism. I like Lucy Jarosz response to Guns, Germs, and Steel (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1467-8330.2003.00356.x/abstract).

jmu, I think your assessment is spot on. additionally, it seem as if he oversimplifies in order to come a conclusion (reasonable or otherwise) that the lay public can understand.

[rising_star]

Gramsci, Marx, Polanyi, and Foucault should be at the top of your list.

[screencheck]

Gramsci, Marx, Polanyi, and Foucault should be at the top of your list.

Thanks! I have basic understanding of some of these, just from intro courses as an undergrad. I suppose it is time to hunker down and do some close reading.

[AdventureFinder]

I've gotten the most out of texts like these in small reading groups or classroom settings. Being able to hash through the concepts with others is really important for understanding them and putting them in context. 

 

If you will soon be starting your grad work, how about some fiction now? 

[jmu]

I've gotten the most out of texts like these in small reading groups or classroom settings. Being able to hash through the concepts with others is really important for understanding them and putting them in context.

If you will soon be starting your grad work, how about some fiction now?

I agree with some of these but I also think it is worthwhile to read them on your own and see what get out of them. Foucault can be difficult, for example, but some of the best analysis I've ever seen is by people otherwise unfamiliar with his work. I also don't think it ever hurts to read these types of books more than once and in different contexts.

[jmu]

P.S. -- If you are feeling brave and want to read Marx's Capital, I strongly advise reading ti with David Harvey's A Companion to Marx's Capital or with his YouTube video series. Harvey is a fantastic social scientist (geographer) and really helps to make sense of the denser sections.