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prahlad's review
3.0
This book is aimed at someone who does not know much about archaeology and just wants to get their toes wet. Given that it is a "very short introduction", it cannot hope to go too deep, and it does a good job of outlining the important aspects of the subject though.
However, I do feel that the author (a) tries too hard to be funny and (b) denigrates his fellow archaeologists far too often for my tastes. Overall, his jokes fell flat and they distracted me from the otherwise interesting information contained in the book.
However, I do feel that the author (a) tries too hard to be funny and (b) denigrates his fellow archaeologists far too often for my tastes. Overall, his jokes fell flat and they distracted me from the otherwise interesting information contained in the book.
scoobyramone's review
3.0
I suppose I got what I was looking for, an intro to archaeology, but it was pretty rudimentary. Each chapter proposed an interesting topic that the author would barely indulge in. For example, the chapters “How Did People Think?” and “How Did People Live?”, which are two concepts I find fascinating, are not actually explored in any depth at all. The author instead describes very generally how archaeologists go about finding these things out. He’ll be off on a tangent about a technical dilemma archaeologists run into and before you know it the chapter is over and you don’t know anything more about how people lived back in ancient times. But hey, maybe I’m reading the wrong book.
Also, don’t even get me started about the way he tries to tip toe around feminism in archaeology. What a nightmare.
Certainly not a great start to my experience with the Very Short Introduction series, but I can’t say I didn’t learn some fascinating stuff intermittently.
Also, don’t even get me started about the way he tries to tip toe around feminism in archaeology. What a nightmare.
Certainly not a great start to my experience with the Very Short Introduction series, but I can’t say I didn’t learn some fascinating stuff intermittently.
livruther's review
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.75
it was honestly a really good overview/intro of archaeology but why did he have to put his opinions in at the end😭😭
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
ciannait76's review
3.0
His tone was a bit snarky and at times funny, the book is exactly as it says - A Very Short Introduction. The Further Reading section was my favourite of the whole book though...
uhm_kai's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.5
interesting overview, but dated for sure