This book offers a concise and accessible overview of cultural anthropology for those coming to the subject for the first time. It introduces key areas of the discipline and touches on its historical developments and applied aspects. As well as traditional topics such as social organization, politics, and economics, the book engages with important contemporary issues including race, gender, sexuality, and colonialism.

In a beginner-friendly format, this book is ideal for students of anthropology, as well as for the interested reader as an introduction to the subject.

Mark Q. Sutton received his PhD in anthropology from the University of California, Riverside. He taught at California State University, Bakersfield from 1987 to 2007, where he retired as Emeritus Professor of Anthropology. He now teaches at the University of San Diego.