anthropology texts for the intelligent layperson

Could any practising anthropologists recommend some texts that are
accepted as being authoritative classics in this particular field? I'm
interested in the development of cultures in different population
groups - I read discussions about Richard Dawkins' work on this site
and although his ideas are very interesting, I would have thought that
they would fit more appropriately into a biology-related area. Thank
you! Best regards, PG

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