Overview

Winner of the Textbook & Academic Authors Association's McGuffey Longevity Award The Past in Perspective: An Introduction to Human Prehistory, Ninth Edition, is an engaging and up-to-date chronological overview of human prehistory. Kenneth L. Feder introduces students to ""the big picture""--the grand sweep of human evolutionary history--presenting the human past within the context of fundamental themes of cultural evolution. Feder's unique, refreshing, and accessible narrative personalizes the past and makes it relevant to today's students. Using a consistent chapter format, Feder helps students master both what we know and what is still debated about the complex story of the human past.

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9780197667675

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Reviews

""I find the Feder textbook to be the most manageable and readable for an introductory archaeology and world prehistory text on the market. I have tried other texts in the past but think this is by far the best on the market. It is structured in a way that I teach--beginning with hominin evolution, moving through AMH migrations around the world, and ending with the rise of complexity. I will adopt this text regardless [of any changes that are made]. This is a readable, scientifically oriented coverage of world prehistory from the deepest origins of hominin evolution to the present day. Feder does an excellent job bringing archaeology and deep history to life for students. Thanks for a great textbook and I will keep using this one every year.""--Todd J. Braje, San Diego State University ""I like the global scope of Feder--it provides a good overview of all the major topics I address in my class--and the tone/writing style. It is written in a very accessible manner and in a way that will engage students. The use of personal stories makes it interesting. The connection with current issues and understandings of why knowing about archaeology is important. The images are great! I particularly liked the additional chronology of complex societies, the map, and the hominin species glossary at the end, as well as the images at the beginning of each chapter. The author references a diversity of authors and researchers, many of whom are from a variety of race, ethnicity, nationality, and gender. I hadn't seen this text before, and I like it a lot. The author does an excellent job of presenting the global case studies in a way that is engaging to the reader and is an appropriate reading level for an introductory course."" --Rachel Horowitz, Washington State University ""I changed to The Past in Perspective as part of an initiative to streamline and simplify the course. I began this transition before the COVID-19 pandemic. I was so glad I did, too, because teaching online further highlighted how a simpler class design is helpful to our students. I like how Feder's book is clearly organized, has useful tables and images, and highlights key terms. My students and I also appreciate the clear summaries for each chapter. In general, the Feder text shines in terms of tone and organization.""--Guy Hepp, CSU-San Bernardino

Author Information

Kenny Feder is a Professor Emeritus. He is the author of Linking to the Past: A Brief Introduction to Archaeology, Second Edition (OUP, 2008) and Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology, Tenth Edition (OUP, 2019). His recent book, Ancient America: Fifty Archaeological Sites to See for Yourself (2017) is aimed at a general audience. Kenny has appeared on numerous cable documentaries (on the National Geographic Channel, the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, and others) focused on the human past.

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