McGuire, an archaeologist working primarily in the desert Southwest, presents a critical overview of major theoretical approaches in contemporary archaeology, comparing them to a Marxist perspective he derives principally from Bertell Oldman. (In a footnote, McGuire describes his parent's divorce catapulting him from middle-to-working-class status as a significant factor in his own search for a view of history compatible with his personal experiences.)

Intended to clarify and argue for his particular Marxist approach, McGuire's discussions on various archaeological views of his and society are more or less cursory as history of archaeology. The book does give a synopsis and is valuable for its inclusion of the usually neglected Latin American theorists. McGuire is more radical a Marxist than Trigger, so his critiques tend to be sharper and are well worth the consideration of serious students of theory in archaeology.