I took this class based on the rave reviews I read here and elsewhere. I haven't been that impressed. Handler has a tendency to ramble on about unrelated material, and the lectures tend to be a tad boring. It seems fairly easy to get at least a "B", though.

Class is so-so. Handler is interesting, far too liberal for some. Kristin is a pretty good TA. Class is all based on 6 essays, grading is completely subjective.

Ew. Came into this class with such high expectations (courseforum and ratemyprofs hadn't failed me before), and came out HATING IT WITH A PASSION. Handler's lectures consist of incoherent babbling with the occasional curse word thrown in, and it didn't even matter what you wrote on the quizzes--just what TA graded yours. If you got the easy one, awesome. If you got the hard ones--you could have written the freakin Magna Carta and still gotten a 7/10. Total, total waste of time class.

6 essay questions throughout the semester. Drops the lowest grade. I missed 2 therefore got 2 zeros and one dropped, still came out with a C. Interesting class, lecture not absolutely necessary if you do the reading.

Handler is a great, very approachable lecturer and the readings were never too bad. Grading depends on which TA grades yours. If you get lucky Handler will.

Handler is pretty out there and interesting and the course isn't that hard if you do the reading. The grading of the midterms seemed really inconsistent, based on whichever TA graded it.

If there's a class that you must take before you graduate, it would be an anthro class with Handler! Absolutely thought provoking and stimulating. He is not afraid to express his opinion and loves open discussions even in a large lecture. If you do the reading, the quizzes are made so that a majority will get a B, however to get above a B you must in essence sort of quote the readings and key terms.
TA is amazing as well!! Must take class!!

Prof. Handler is an amazing teacher. He is very liberal and is not at all apologetic. Whether or not you agree with him, he'll make you think. I'm an Anthro major because of him.

my FAVORITE prof at uva. his lectures really challenge you to think about everything you do. he's also hilarious. he also likes to throw in the f-word every lecture or two.

warning: some students may feel personally attacked, especially when he talks about ASB, affirmative action, etc...but everything that he says is genius.

Handler is brilliant, passionate, and entertaining. He's about as far left-wing as they come and isn't shy about expressing his political opinions. There's not a ton of reading and most of it is interesting. Grade was based on six 10-point in-class essay quizzes (and then the lowest grade gets thrown out) and a 50-point cumulative essay final. Not only will you learn a great deal, but you'll see things in a whole new perspective after coming out of this class.