Manitoba’s Open Textbooks

Q: Content is accurate, error-free and unbiased

The book is well-illustrated with many images and diagrams. Supplementary material includes an Instructor's Manual, Power Points, test bank, and links to videos. No inaccuracies or bias were identified in the review.

Content Accuracy Rating: 5 out of 5

Q: Content is up-to-date, but not in a way that will quickly make the text obsolete within a short period of time. The text is written and/or arranged in such a way that necessary updates will be relatively easy and straightforward to implement

The content is up-to-date and written in such a way that the book will likely be useful for several years. Updates to future editions in regards to additions, deletions, or rearrangment of chapters, as well as changes ot content in individual chapters, should be easy and straightforward.

Relevance Rating: 5 out of 5

Q: The text is written in lucid, accessible prose, and provides adequate context for any jargon/technical terminology used

The text is well-written. Given that there are more than a dozen different authors contributing to the 19 chapters, there is some inconsistency in writing styles, but overall, each chapter is highly readable by students. The differences in writing styles are not so great that they would be troublesome to students. Jargon and technical terminology is contextualized well, and each chapter has a good glossary. Many terms in glossaries of different chapters use the same definition, which should give students and instructors some comfort.

Clarity Rating: 5 out of 5

Q: The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework

The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. Regarding terminology, each chapter has its own glossary, but definitions of the same terms in the glossaries of different chapters are consistent. The framework of each chapter is consistent. Each chapter has approximately the same number of pages, and structure. Chapters open for example with Learning Objectives, follow a similar pattern of headings and subheadings. Each chapter also has a glossary, references, and a short section "About the Authors." The listing of referencing is a bit inconsistent, with some chapters including a bibliography while others list the sources in "Notes." The range of references in the list of references at the end of each chapter range from several to several dozen.

Consistency Rating: 4 out of 5

Q: The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course (i.e., enormous blocks of text without subheadings should be avoided). The text should not be overly self-referential, and should be easily reorganized and realigned with various subunits of a course without presenting much disruption to the reader.

The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections, especially at the level of chapter - where students can read or download each chapter separately.
There are also effective use of headings and subheading in each chapter to make reading in short sections easy. If an instructor chooses, they could easily re-order or delete some chapters from the book with no affect on the reader.

Modularity Rating: 5 out of 5

Q: The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion

The topics are presented in a clear and logical manner. The 19 chapters are divided in two major parts. Part 1 covers the key topics covered in most introductory level cultural anthropology courses, beginning with an introductory chapter on the nature of anthropology, followed by separate chapters on culture, fieldwork, language, subsistence, economics, social and political systems, family and marriage, and religion. Part 1 also covers topics sometimes taught in introductory courses, including chapters on race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and globalization. Part 2 includes topics that are not standard in introductory books for cultural anthropology, but may be incorporated into a course depending on instructor and student interest. Topics covered in separate chapters in Part 2 include the history of anthropological thought,
sustainability, performance, media, health and medicine, and public anthropology.

Organization Rating: 5 out of 5

Q: The text is free of significant interface issues, including navigation problems, distortion of images/charts, and any other display features that may distract or confuse the reader

The text is free of significant interface issues. The reviewer had no problem opening, reading, viewing, or downloading any of the text. There were no navigation problems, distortion, or anything else that may distract or confuse the reader.

Interface Rating: 5 out of 5

Q: The text contains no grammatical errors

No spelling or grammatical errors were identified in the review.

Grammar Rating: 5 out of 5

Q: The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. It should make use of examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds

The text reflects diversity and inclusion. The reviewer identified no evidence of insensitive or offensive language. Chapters typically provide overviews of diversity, supported by cultural relativism. There are also separate chapters on ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and religion.

Cultural Relevance Rating: 5 out of 5

Q: Are there any other comments you would like to make about this book, for example, its appropriateness in a Canadian context or specific updates you think need to be made?

This book is strongly recommended. It provides a normative approach to teaching introductory level cultural anthropology courses, and enough options with extra chapters on topic of specialized interest to appeal to instructors who want to cover those extra topics. The chapters are well-organized, engaging, and cover core content well.