I used this book for an intro anthropology course, and it proved to be very interesting on its own,apart from the class itself. Mr. Service's writing is clear and easily read by those unfamiliar with anthropological terms and such. It is a little old (70s) but is still a really good standard text. Especially intriguing were the chapters on the !Kung bushmen, the Irish Countrymen, and the Trobriand Islanders. Service does a good job of delineating the line of contact between these civilizations and those of the west, which helps us to understand how such contact has negatively affected these dying cultures. An excellent read for the amateur anthropologist or the casual reader.