Aims to provide an introduction to anthropology, showing it as an activity which helps us to understand human social and cultural diversity. This book is also an invitation to anthropologists, which began with the question: "Why do humans have such diverse cultures and ways of life?".



Why do humans have such diverse cultures and ways of life? Michael Carrithers presents an original and powerful answer to this central problem of anthropology, arguing that it is the ways in which people interact, rather than technological advances, that have been of crucial importance in human history. Lucid and thought-provoking, he draws both on ancient and contemporary examples to show how this perspective forms a firm foundation for the study of culture, society, and history.