Death by Theory: A Tale of Mystery and Archaeological Theory

Rating:
Summary: Good for an archaeolgoy class
Review: Basic archaeology theory in a kind of illustrated novel. I enjoyed it a lot.

Rating:
Summary: Great for an Intro Archaeology Class
Review: I bought this book for two reasons; I was curious to see if it would be worth using with an Intro to Archaeology class, and I have a terrible head for theory myself, so am always curious to see how other people approach it.

"Death by Theory" is not great literature, and not really that great of a mystery, but that's ok because it does one important thing very very well. It presents archaeological and anthropological theory in a totally non-threatening way, and in a way that a beginning (or forgetful) student is likely to remember. It's not going to tell the serious archaeology student everything he or she needs to know, but it's a great jumping off point for further discussion, as well as a good, basic reference that students will likely return to.

The illustrations are amusing and insightful, and there's enough humor and plot to keep the reader turning the pages. If I ever have the opportunity, I would definitely use this book with an intro class, and I am quite happy to add this book to my own reference library.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Idea Damaged by Lack of Editing
Review: The presentation of concepts, and a light, clever plot are marred by disjointed writing. It seems as if Prof. Praetzellis could not marry the ideas of education and fiction into something cohesive. Each time one gets into the story, the reader is jarred back out of the book.

It's not a problem caused by presenting concepts inside the story, which he largely does well. It's not that there isn't excellent information throughout. The problem occurs when the author cannot keep himself out of the story, and puts in editorial asides that stop the flow. This happens without warning, and sometimes without anything to mark the shift in the point of view. It makes it frustrating to read, and difficult for the reader to remain focused.

Prof. Praetzellis is quite compelling as a lecturer, and I hear he is working on another book of this type. It's hard to fault him completely, as these issues should be caught by an editor. I hope his next editor helps him stay on track. This could have been brilliant, instead of the choppy, difficult read we have here.