How Culture Makes Us Human

Dwight W. Read is Professor of Anthropology and Statistics at UCLA. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a recognized expert in quantitative archaeology. He has written over 100 articles on theory, analytic methods, kinship, computer applications, biological anthropology, and field projects from California to the Kalahari.

• Introduction1. The Primate Beginning Point2. The Hunter-Gatherer Ending Point3. The Chimpanzee Middle Point4. From OW Monkeys to Chimpanzees to Humans5. Transition to Relational Systems of Social OrganizationConclusionReferencesIndex

"...Dwight Read has brought his strong mathematical and logical skills to bear on the fundmental issue of what distinguishes cultural phenomena, both as systems and as evolutionary phenomena. Anyone concerned with 'what makes us human' will find new and important perspectives in this work."... --Henry Wright, University of Michigan"Read argues for the emergence of enhanced cognitive abilities, and especially an increase in short-term working memory, as a driving force behind human behavioral evolution. The author reviews the diversity of social systems among Old World monkeys and chimpanzees, humans' closest living relatives, in an attempt to establish the foundation of human social organization. The book lead readers from an appreciation of the complexities of monkey and ape societies to an understanding of the sophistication of modern human communities; this transition is accompanied by an organizationl shift from biological kin selection to cultural group selection. Summing up: Recommended. Undergraduate students and general readers."- A. Delgado Jr., CHOICE"How Culture Makes Us Human is an intriguing book that I like very much. My appreciation stems from the author's ability to explicitly outline the cognitive capabilities within various primate lineages in order to demonstrate qualities of mind that allow for a cultural kinship system to develop. The book should appeal to both the evolutionary theory camp and the culture-is-unique camp in anthropology (and the social sciences) because it implies that both sides have a point. Clearly written, the book also contains numerous useful figures and illustrations. I recommend it highly for use in both graduate and undergraduate anthropology courses pertaining to evolution, the primates, hunter-gatherers, and culture."--William Raymond Yaworsky, Anthropology Review Database