The Hadza - (Origins of Human Behavior and Culture) by Frank Marlowe

About the Book

"A special and rare kind of ethnography, skillfully blending detailed description of behavior with thoughtful commentary on theoretical issues. Exceptionally important and enduring."--Bruce Winterhalder, co-editor of "Evolutionary Ecology and Human Behavior"

Book Synopsis

In The Hadza, Frank Marlowe provides a quantitative ethnography of one of the last remaining societies of hunter-gatherers in the world. The Hadza, who inhabit an area of East Africa near the Serengeti and Olduvai Gorge, have long drawn the attention of anthropologists and archaeologists for maintaining a foraging lifestyle in a region that is key to understanding human origins. Marlowe ably applies his years of research with the Hadza to cover the traditional topics in ethnography--subsistence, material culture, religion, and social structure. But the book's unique contribution is to introduce readers to the more contemporary field of behavioral ecology, which attempts to understand human behavior from an evolutionary perspective. To that end, The Hadza also articulates the necessary background for readers whose exposure to human evolutionary theory is minimal.

From the Back Cover

"A special and rare kind of ethnography, skillfully blending detailed description of behavior with thoughtful commentary on theoretical issues. Exceptionally important and enduring."--Bruce Winterhalder, co-editor of Evolutionary Ecology and Human Behavior

Review Quotes

"Thought-provoking."-- "Choice" (1/1/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"Riveting. . . . It is the most important single source of information about the Hadza, and it is superb, combining many of the virtues of classical ethnography with rigorous quantitative description and experimental hypothesis testing. "--Melvin Konner "American Scientist" (1/1/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"This quantitative ethnography . . . introduces readers to the contemporary field of understanding human behaviour from an evolutionary perspective."-- "Times Higher Ed Supp (Thes)" (7/8/2010 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Frank Marlowe is Professor of Anthropology at Florida State University.