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Rambles sometimes in lecture, and there is a lot of material. Weekly quizzes keep you up to date.

lectures can be repetitive, but lectures, blacklightning notes, and quizzes give you all you need to know to do well in the class. I found his lectures interesting, didn't see too many people sleeping

Buy BlackLightning notes! They are practically lecture transcriptions and are very helpful. It was a very interesting subject matter.

I love this class- his lectures are fun and easy to understand and the midterm was really easy, provided that you studied.

His class is aided by the use of pictures/videos. The material for the class is relatively easy and presented in a clear way with many examples and he tied everything together well. Get BlackLightning b/c all quizzes/midterms only test the lecture material. In fact don't even buy the books

the class was very interesting..sometimes the lectures were brutal, but who doesn't need a good nap? midterm/quizzes were straight from the lecture notes. we'll see how the midterm goes. PS i got a lot of knitting done in his class.

The subject matter was decently interesting. The tests can be kinda picky, but if you know anyone who took the class, get their old tests!!! He repeats a lot of the questions on his exams - both for midterms and the final! Also black lightning is a must; i got an A and never went to class.

Very interesting class! Great lecturer, he modulates his voice very well unlike a lot of the other monotune profs I've had. I love his little clips too. Seems very interested and enthusiastic about the subject(esp. brain and language). A lot of memorization though.

Deacon is a great lecturer, and makes the material really interesting. His subject may not be the most interesting in the world, but he does a lot better job of it than Professor Agarwal. If you're going to take Anthro 1, take it from Deacon!

It was a tough course, but not impossible. Lectures were crucial, but reading was necessary to cement everything into place. If you just want a grade, go to lecture. If you want to really understand the world, take the time to learn from him. It's worth the journey. Also, check out the follow on course, Anthro 112.

This class was one of the most interesting classes I have ever taken. Deacon is funny and engaging. The tests are multiple choice that come from lecture. Anything you don't understand you can suppliment with the readings. You can't do well without coming to class.

I took this class for a req, but ended up loving every second. He weeded out 3/4 of the class by the end of the semester and it was QUALITY. Discussions, good readings, pure joy. He promised me a letter of rec almost a year ago and had not responded to my emails. eeks. Bad at timely email responses, but when you get his time its well worth it!!!

Deacon Rocks

Okay, dude's got some problems but generally his lectures are really interesting and lively - he does TRY to be comedic. Exams are mult choice but surprisingly difficult/tricky. 1st midterm was like reciting Darwin's Origin word for word. Always behind on the syllabus. Very helpful outside of class, recommends add'tnl readings, namely his own book

This class was difficult but totally worth it! There is a lot of science involved, so for those of your only interested in the socio-cult side of anthro, this is not the UD bio req you should take. Tests are hard, but he is really generous in the grading and really helpful in office hours. Take the class if you into bio anthro, neuroscience!

196 was a very challenging class, long/difficult readings, but still one of the best classes I've taken at Cal. Tough as hell, but really rewarding. Intimate class (12 people?), dont miss class, READ or you'll feel stupid. Deacon's a supergenius, but at least tries to simplify things at office hours. Awesome if youre really into evo theory or IB/MC

This prof really is a supergenius, but makes a genuine effort to explain things well. Lots of reading - focus on the posted readings, then move to the books if you can. Tests are really tricky, and your grade is based on them. Really fascinating material in lectures, which you have to attend to keep up with the class.

Deacon is one of the most brilliant professors I have encountered at Cal. The class was challenging but absolutely fascinating.

Really great lecturer. I would recommend this class to anyone interested in evolution and the "evolution of evolution." It's so great to have professors who are clearly at or near the top in their field. Prof. Deacon is definately in that category. He's extremely approachable and very available. His reader Julie Hui is also very good!

Professor Deacon is a genius. It is clear that he is very passionate about what he teaches. I took two of his classes (anthro 1 and anthro 111), and both were extremely challenging, but the material was so interesting.

Deacon is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the subject. Sooo adorable too! Some of the reading can be tedious, and you don't have to do all of them; use your judgment. The midterm's not so bad as long as you're a decent student (meaning you attend lecture and actually pay attention). I recommend Deacon.

Class is definitely interesting, and I wouldn't recommend skipping class, even though he posts the lecture slides online. Shows some cool videos about monkeys and slugs. Tests are manageable and curved, and based mostly on lectures. I stopped reading after the first midterm. Go to class and you should do fine.

Awesome teacher, very passionate about his work. Great lectures with lots of funny videos and pictures. You don't need to read a single page from the text book and can still get an easy A because the lectures are so comprehensible and interesting.

Easy A with a reasonable amount of studying, especially if you have a biology background. Never opened the textbook because his lectures are really, really good.

Great lecturer, very passionate about the subject. Showed hilarious nature videos in almost every class and had clear, entertaining examples for every concept. Tests are totally based on lecture, I barely opened the books and got an A so don't waste your time.

This was an incredible course - definitely one of my favorites. He's very knowledgeable about the subject matter and it shows. I wouldn't say the class is difficult if you're making an effort but certainly not one you can ignore and hope for the best. Lectures are interesting, passionate and relevant.

Brilliant man. Tricky tests. Interesting material. Occasional humor makes his lectures less monotonous. My only suggestion is that he demand more rigor and imagination from his students, as opposed to just making them do multiple choice and identification.

Great professor. He gives you weekly quizzes that are very helpful in preparing you for the midterms and final. He does podcast so that is also a plus but just make sure you still go to class. If you're on top of things, this class won't be hard

This was an interesting, easygoing class. All lectures are posted online with powerpoints, almost all test material came from quiz study guides

Professor Deacon is a clear lecturer and helpful outside of class. His lectures can be a little monotonous at times but he makes it fun with little videos throughout the class. I'd suggest going to class even though he podcasts everything. Overall, I'd say it's an interesting, enjoyable course and a great way to fulfill your bio breadth.

Deacon is a really great professor. Anth 1 was really fun and more interesting than I was expecting. Shows great clips, and tests are easy (straight from lecture slides, always multiple choice or short answer.) Take him if you get the chance and are interested in anthro/evolution/primates!

This is an amazing class, if you're not afraid of some hard science in your anthro. My adviser told me that if I got a B I should pat myself on the back because this is one of the hardest anthro classes here. But he gives you the curve at the mid-term so you know quickly how you're doing, and he's very willing to help if you ask.

This is the kind of teacher I expected when I came to Cal. So great. He has everything. Funny, kind, excited, knowledgeable, great lectures, really made me want to come to class. You learn a lot.

Professor Deacon is the reason I got into Bio Anthropology at Cal. He is immensely helpful and informative during office hours, and he is a dynamic, enthusiastic lecturer. His lectures can be a little intimidating because there is so much information, but he presents it in a comprehensive way. His exams are tough, but doable if you work hard.

Prof. Deacon was an amazing lecturer, if you paid attention. It's easy to lose focus because there are no participation points. Do not lose focus. Tests are based entirely off of lecture material. An easy A if you can pay attention.

Professor Deacon really knows his stuff but he talks forever. First class I have ever fallen asleep in. Readings are not necessary as all test questions are from lecture slides and practice quizzes.

Prof. Deacon explains the concepts clearly, although he does rant on certain topics. He shows funny, interesting videos throughout lecture. The course is easy, GSI not really needed. We had quizzes at the beginning of our discussion. Prof. Deacon was nice enough to give us the questions on the quizzes a week beforehand. Amazing class, do take!

Deacon inspired me to chart a unique career using evolutionary biology and anthropology in applied fields. An academic heavyweight, he is also not afraid to mentor outside the department and shines his brilliance your way if you ask the right questions, synthesizing across interdisciplinary lines. He is accessible at office hours if you try hard.

Class isn't mandatory - his exams are very straightforward if you study just the lecture slides. However, Prof. Deacon is internationally known in his field, so lectures truly are a treat (many elderly people go to lecture just to listen!). Fascinating material, and an insightful, reasonable person - would love to take another class from him.

Don't rely too much on lecture videos online -- the course captures on bCourses were really unreliable, and often had no audio (I realized this too late the week before the exam -- be careful!). Midterm & final are mostly Big Idea based. He goes off on tangents involving little details, but you should extrapolate those to the bigger concepts!

Very engaging. Made materials interesting through lecture slide (Pics, Vids). Much tougher class than originally thought. Seems like it could be an upper div bio class. Memorize and you'll probably get an A. SIde note, my own exp with all Anthro GSI seem to be hit or miss. Eccentric or bland no in between. Shop around it can make a significant

Terry is kind of a meme, but he's also a Harvard grad + professor so he's very well-respected. He has (way too much) info in his slides, but everything for the tests are on there, so it's relatively straightforward. Weekly quizzes are a pain but I was able to study the day of and do well on most of them. Overall ok as long as you don't fall behind.

Deacon is amazing. I felt he went a little too in depth for an intro class at times but he was an incredibly interesting lecturer. He's also hella famous in the anthro world which is super cool and its crazy that he actually teaches an intro class considering his status. Great professor, incredibly knowledgable and a riveting speaker

This is what you come to Berkeley for. Challamging. Brilliant. Important work. Yet extremely approachable.

Great professor. Hard as hell. Very difficult to know what was going to be on exam. Could be any damn slide. But he was extremely approachable and the GSIs were amazing! Extremely interesting material and Im happy to challenge myself in a course like this. Fair grader and is lenient with a curve. Glad I took it.

Amazing lecturer. He keeps you engaged throughout the class and, presuming you pay attention, you will learn a lot. Very funny and charismatic as well.

Lecture attendance isn't mandatory and slides are posted after. WEEKLY QUIZZES MATTER. Exams aren't as in depth as lecture content--you'll be fine memorizing the slides and quizzes. No graded labs, papers, etc! Also great to be able to hear about Deacon's research and his legacy in the field :) class grade is curved at the end but reasonable

Very passionate about humans and biological evolution but his lectures were indeed very boring, I would fall asleep in them. He posts the lecture slides on bCourses as well as Course Captures so even if you don't show up to lecture, you will be fine. Weekly quizzes posted on bCourses and are taken during Discussion.

Professor Deacon is a wonderful lecturer, just preferably don't take his lectures at 8 am, it makes it hard to stay awake in a dark auditorium. He loves his material and can really speak to his research. His tests are notoriously hard but he does curve and the GSIs are a great resource for study help.

Years later I still remember so much from this class. I probably way over-studied, but knowing the material has been really applicable to my other classes.

The course material is very interesting, you can tell professor Deacon is very passionate about the subject and is very knowledgeable. However, the class structure is very bland, and especially through zoom, it was really hard to focus. There are weekly quizzes and a midterm and final. A lot of memorization.

Though everything get tested is on the PPT shared after class, PPT is hard to read without explanations given in class. So even participation isn't mandatory, going to lectures help. Lots of exam questions taken directly from weekly quiz. Readings optional. The course is inspiring and life-changing in all, I recommend as a must for Berkeley student

Deacon knows what he's talking about but lectures were boring and hard to follow along at times. He's very advanced to be teaching an intro class. The entire grade is made up of three sections: weekly quizzes (which aren't too bad as long as you study a couple days in advance), midterm, and final. Maybe I'm just not passionate about anthro..

I went into Anthro1 with zero knowledge of the subject and left with a huge interest in the material and find myself applying it to my everyday life. I recommend this class to everyone. ALWAYS do the weekly quiz questions ahead of time and ask him questions about the material and his research! He is great at clearly explaining complicated concepts.

Great instructor. 107 was a great class and if you put in the work and study study study you'll do just fine !

Prof. Deacon is very intelligent and usually was able to teach the info very well. His lectures weren't the most engaging and could get a little boring, but I was able to keep up by studying for the weekly quizzes.