The Alternative Introduction to Biological Anthropology

The Alternative Introduction to Biological Anthropology by Jonathan Marks was required reading last semester as a companion to the formal textbook for my class in - you guessed it! - biological anthropology. Marks does a great job of breaking down all the core concepts without losing anything vital to a basic understanding of the field: he covers a brief introduction into what anthropology is; discusses theories of evolution; genetics and heredity; non-human primates; early hominids; and more. Each chapter ends with a list of references and further reading recommendations, should you be interested in delving a little deeper into a particular subject.

Skin: A Natural History

Skin. The organ you probably take the most for granted. It seems extremely simple, but as Nina G. Jablonski shows us in this book, Skin: A Natural History, it is extremely complex. I chose this book for my alternate reading assignment in my Biological Anthropology class this past semester, and it's fascinating. She goes over, of course, the "basics" that most (if not all) of us know from our introductory biology courses in high school or college, but she takes it a little more in depth as well.

Most are familiar with the basic biology of skin, and the levels of melanin production affecting human diversity. Jablonski also discusses, however, such topics as sweat and the adaptation of human hairlessness. There is anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and anthropology exemplified in this book. Not only does she go over (in detail, mind you) the technical ins and outs of skin, but also the sociocultural aspects, such as body modification - decoration through painting, piercing, scarring, tattooing...she touches also on new developments in the research of producing artificial skin.