Roots of Human Behavior

By: Barbara J. King, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Barbara J. King

While human history is usually studied from the perspective of a few hundred years, anthropologists consider deeper causes for the ways we act. Now, in these 12 engrossing lectures, you'll join an expert anthropologist as she opens an enormous window of understanding for you into the thrilling legacy left by our primate past. In these lectures, you'll investigate a wealth of intriguing, provocative questions about our past and our relationship to primates. Are language and technology unique to humans? Have human love and loyalty developed from emotions of our primate cousins? Do the ways in which human males and females relate to each other come from our primate past? Have we inherited a biological tendency for aggression? How much of our behavioral, cognitive, and cultural identity have we inherited from our closest living relatives? How can the study of monkeys and apes lead us to a fuller picture of who we are?

Along the way, you'll learn about the landmark moment in the 1960s when dramatic new findings about apes changed the way we thought about ourselves; you'll look back to a forest in Africa, millions of years ago, when a generalized great ape ancestor split into distinct lineages, then evolved and divided further to create our closest living relatives, and human beings; you'll journey to Asia and the New World, where other anthropoid primates followed their own evolutionary course, separate from the human lineage, yet still connected in important ways; and much more.This thorough and critical examination of our diverse primate roots will allow you to finally see our human family in an entirely new light.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2001 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2001 The Great Courses

Great introduction

What did you love best about Roots of Human Behavior?

Context to explain in the last chapter the human behavior

What about Professor Barbara J. King’s performance did you like?

Very good and entusiastic

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

All chapters

Any additional comments?

excellent course for the non-expert

I enjoyed this course much more than I expected. The professor has a calm and engaging style; I enjoyed listening to her speaking voice and she organized her thoughts clearly.

I usually listen to the Great Courses on history and literature, but this one would be one of my favorites despite not being my usual subject matter. I learned a lot but the information was always presented in an accessible style.

I think middle and high schoolers would be able to appreciate it if used for homeschooling. There is some frank talk about sexual behaviors which wouldn't bother me, but YMMV.

The last lecture was a difficult/sad one since it concerned threats to the primates in the wild. Hard to hear how we treat our relatives.

Anthropological notions towards human behavior

This is an enjoyable course with plenty of good information presented in a logical order and in an engaging way. However, the main point is that we cannot gleam too much information about our own behavior by studying other primates and their origins.

Strong feminist bias

Be prepared for almost no mention of males role in primate society. The authors voice is rather annoying.

a shortened version of biological anthropology

is essentially a shortened version of the professor's other course on biological anthropology you should decide between the two based on how interested you are on the topic

Best lecture

Barbara King is outstanding in her precise use of language to present a balanced reporting of information at "press time". I appreciated her ability to clearly offer speculation without confusion and clearly present the evidence and best interpretations.

Feminist Pseudoscience

This “scientific” look at human nature is taught by a feminist advocate who teaches in a women’s studies department. Dr. King claims to be a “biological anthropologist” but in reality is a cultural anthropologist at best and a feminist advocate more correctly. There is little science in this and much pseudoscience. She selectively presents studies to promote her feminist agenda which much of this series is dedicated to. I am an ethnologist by trade yet this is the first Great Courses series I have ever disliked. There is no doubt in my mind that Dr King knows exactly what she is doing but does so because women studies advocates have a world view that the end justifies the means. If you have interest in a scientific approach to human behavior look into Richard Dawkins or Steven Pinker’s books as both are on audible and you will actually be educating rather than indoctrinating yourself. A black eye for the otherwise fabulous Great Courses lineup.