Reviews (3)

A very mixed bag of articles to read with eyes wide open
"Basic Communications of Intercultural Communication" is a collection of thirteen essays on a variety ofcross-cultural topics, mostly those affecting people of different nationalities or speaking different languages. The quality of the articles is very uneven.

Dean Barnlund has contributed a finely crafted piece on the difficulties our increasingly international society will face, when we already struggle so mightily with cultural differences within our own communities. Barnlund suggests reasons from his own research that explain why individuals easily empathize with some cultures and respond in a hostile way to others.

Sheila Ramsey has written an excellent primer for American and Japanese business people who have to be effective in each other's very different societies. She is clearly entirely at home with her subject and her explanations are clear and detailed.

A couple of writers have presented refreshingly down-to-earth articles on the differences beween American black and anglo culture. Thomas Kochman repeats the results of Carol Koogler's observation of two different teachers dealing with the same class of mixed black and anglo children and how they get different results according to their empathy with each group's cultural assumptions.

Unfortunately I was looking for a book that I could recommend to American business people visiting European offices. The chapters about socio-linguistics were the least satisfactory. Benjamin Lee Whorf trots out that hoary old myth about Eskimos having more words for snow than other North Americans. Dr Bennett himself offers the theory that Americans are more egalitarian than Europeans in part because English has only one word for 'you', unlike most European languages that usually have two or three. He doesn't resolve the anomaly that the most egalitarian countries in the world (Norway, Denmark and Sweden) are all in Europe and all speak languages with multiple forms of the word 'you'. Nor does he resolve the paradox that the same language that he says makes Americans so "democratic" has also made the English themselves "haughty", "oppressive of the Scots", and prone to advertise "their place of education".

In short, this isn't a book I would want to put in the hands of an innocent monolingual American business person heading abroad for the first time. Nor would I recommend it to the students and 'newcomers to the field' for whom it was written.

Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication
This is a must read book, especially for those dealing with intercultural communication, both in the areas of foreign language learning and business management. I read some of the articles twice even three times and found the them very inspiring for my teachings as they provided a strong foundation on cross cultural understanding; moreover they have helped me a lot in highlighting the sensitive matters in intercultural communication to my class. I assume anyone dealing with people from different cultural background need to know the arts of intercultural communication, as misunderstanding might result in losing the business. I am quite positive that this book will also be of great help for managers, business people who have to deal with their foreign partners.

A fundamental reference I return to again and again.
This book was my initial introduction to the field of intercultural communication and I seem to return to it often as a reference point in thinking about new intercultural works that I wish to more deeplyunderstand.The chapter on marginality by Janet Bennett is particularlythought provoking and helpful around personal identification issues relatedto biculturality. I strongly suggest this book to anyone seeking tobetter understand intercultural relations.I can't seem to keep it off mydesk and get it back on the shelf. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Putting health issues into perspective
I have repeatedly dipped into the book over the last few years as I am a health care worker with an interest in anthropology and health. The book reflects the key interest areas in the health care arena and uses anthropological interpretations to uncover new meaning and understanding. The topics covered include reproductive health, new technologies in health care, gender issues and places the interpretation of culture as the cornerstone to real understanding. I heartily recommend it to all my colleagues as well as my students. ... Read more

Book Description

This award-winning book explores one of the most successful cultures and society the world has ever seen-capitalism.From its European roots more than 500 years ago to the present, the book examines the problems of capitalism's expansion, inequality, environmental destruction, and social unrest.Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism provides the reader with the anthropological, economic, and historical framework to understand the origins of global problems, why globalization and the global expansion of the culture of capitalism has generated protest and resistance, and the steps that are necessary to solve global problems. As one reviewer said, "This is a book that will doubtless create debate and controversy, but its topic should be pondered seriously by all who consider themselves citizens of our world society today."For anyone interested in global issues and international affairs. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent book for anyone who cares about the world today!
I admit I'm a little biased. Richard Robbins was actually a professor of mine at SUNY Plattsburgh, and I had the opportunity to read this book while at the same time taking his global issues class. This book not only changed my mind about a few of the world's issues, it also gave me a broader perspective about the world in general. I now think about things such as 'where do my clothes come from?' and 'how did my fruit cup get here?'. Robbins is an extremely talented man and writer who asks the question, 'Is Disneyland for Everyone?' The answer: a resounding 'No, and here's why!' This book would benefit anyone seeking to gain an understanding about the world and his/her place in it. It truly is a global world, and Robbins' book is the first step to living in it.

Great textbook!
At last: a textbook which confronts the cultural power of capitalism. Robbins looks at how capitalism shapes cultures and how it has evolved into the most powerful cultural influence on the planet. A great resource for anthropology, geography, or history. Not your run of the mill textbook, it offers forceful critiques and compelling history. An excellent book for college students. ... Read more

Book Description

A recognized classic of cultural anthropology, this book explores the political, religious, and economic life of Japan from the seventh century through the mid-twentieth, as well as personal family life. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A Fascinating and Amazingly Accurate Glimpse of Japan
Ruth Benedict has beautifully laid out concepts and social constructs which make Japanese culture so tremendously different from Occidental modes of thought. Her study has rightly been called the a classic of the Anthro Canon. Ms. Benedict (to respond to an earlier reviewer) had no intention of writing history, which carries with it a completely different pedagogical/philosophical set of baggage. Instead, as she discusses in the introduction, she examined the most basic functions of Japanese life and modes of thought which are crucial to understanding a major world power--ways of comprehending life which are often entirely separate from Western perception. Most Japanese who have read this book truly appreciate the messages it carries, as they often find Japanese culture too impenetrable to describe to foreign friends. I should add that the book is very 'readable,' a rare and wonderful quality for any non-fiction book. The book was comisisoned by the U.S. Government during the second world war to attempt to understand their opponents. At the time, in the middle of the war, Benedict could not possibly have lived in Japan, and so interviewed Japanese citizens living in the U.S., many living in relocation camps. Between their cooperation and a great body of work (anthropological and otherwise) which came before her project, Benedict had a wealth of cultural nuggets from which she derived her fascinating and crucial work. This book is a must-read for anyone who seeks a deeper understanding of Japanese culture--honestly, as we are so closely tied economically and politically with Japan, and restrained Japan so thoroughly after World War II--restrictions which strongly influence Japanese involvement in world politics today, we all could easily benefit from the Crysanthemum and the Sword. P.S. If you are looking for History (in terms of the academic discipline), there are other important books to read. As Ruth Benedict is a (fantastic) Anthropologist, her concern is with social mindsets an

excellent antropology
Chrysanthemum and the Sword : Patterns of Japanese Culture by Ruth Benedict was intended as a commissioned anthropological study of the Japanese culture at the end of WWII. The study was harshly treated and criticized by some of the anthropologists and by many in the near-political university circles because the author use of circumstantial and indirect evidence, since she never went to Japan and did not know the language.

In my opinion, the study however is clear, unencumbendt by assumptions, fairly objective. I feel that Benedict accomplished her goal in laying out the foundation for understanding of what American Japanese administration can do in rebuilding the Japan society so the WWII aggression won't be repeated.

Personally, Benedicts clear explanation of hierarchy of cultural obligation (to the emperor, family, and to ones honor), descriptions of the child upbringing gave me useful insights into Japanese literary and esthetic traditions; and to the history of the development of Buddhism. I would highly recommend it for anybody who wants to understand cultural foundation of Japanese character; and also as a curious piece on how Japan was perceived circa 1946, when nothing of the impending economic recovery, political reorientation and cultural shifts of today were known.

Japanese now and then
Since this book was written 1946 , Japanese have changed and so the same as American. I was surprised to notice Japanese Mrs. Benedict analyzed are those of my parentfs generation and American she referred are my generation. In other words in these 54 years Japanese metamorphosed into American of 54 years ago. American now , in my opinion, more skeptical about their own value system and a little more sensitive about the comparativeness of peoplefs way of thinking including the standard of judgments. People do change and this doesnft mean Mrs. Benedict work is out of date. She shows us how to see and examine the behavior and mindset of different cultures. What kind of information should be collected, and how to gauge and examine those information in order to construct plausible edifice of theory.

Everyone might enjoy this
Okay, so maybe it's out-of-date. But it's still a classic. I have essentially no interest in Japan, but this book fascinated me so much I read it in one sitting. It's an easy read, and Benedict has a light, interesting style. At the time it was written, after the end of WWII, I suspect it was a huge best-seller. The author attempts to explain the bizarre behavior of the Japanese, e.g. their shock that American POWs would want the U.S. government to be informed of their capture. In the Japanese mind at that time, POWs were considered "dead" to their culture. Other strange beliefs are covered. Why, for example, did not the other Asian countries Japan conquered welcome the Japanese, who were only going to show these countries the proper place in the hierarchy (of course with Japan at the top)? Intriguing book, and very educational.

remarkably helpful guide to Japan at war
I'm amused by the comments that Ruth Benedict is outdated. No doubt she is--but where else will you learn about the philosophy of the Japanese armed forces in WWII? If you want to know why the Japanese treated their captives with such savagery, and why they routinely fought to the death, you'll benefit from reading this book. I don't know of any other that even attempts to explain these mysteries. ... Read more

Book Description

Increasingly the body is a possession that does not belong to us. It is bought and sold, bartered and stolen, marketed wholesale or in parts. The professions - especially reproductive medicine, transplant surgery, and bioethics but also journalism and other cultural specialists - have been pliant partners in this accelerating commodification of live and dead human organisms. Under the guise of healing or research, they have contributed to a new 'ethic of parts' for which the divisible body is severed from the self, torn from the social fabric, and thrust into commercial transactions -- as organs, secretions, reproductive capacities, and tissues -- responding to the dictates of an incipiently global marketplace.

Breaking with established approaches which prioritize the body as 'text', the chapters in this book examine not only images of the body-turned-merchandise but actually existing organisms considered at once as material entities, semi-magical tokens, symbolic vectors and founts of lived experience. The topics covered range from the cultural disposal and media treatment of corpses, the biopolitics of cells, sperm banks and eugenics, to the international trafficking of kidneys, the development of 'transplant tourism', to the idioms of corporeal exploitation among prizefighters as a limiting case of fleshly commodity.

This insightful and arresting volume combines perspectives from anthropology, law, medicine, and sociology to offer compelling analyses of the concrete ways in which the body is made into a commodity and how its marketization in turn remakes social relations and cultural meanings.

Book Description

This text is a brief, more affordable version of the Peoples and Bailey, HUMANITY: AN INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Fifth Edition (2000). Its coverage of core topics, smaller size, and economical price make it well suited for instructors who wish to adopt a core text along with supplemental texts such as readers and ethnographies. The text shares, in a briefer format, the same rich characteristics that made HUMANITY a best-seller over the years: strong scholarship, rich ethnographic examples and a unique focus on modern ethnicity and the survival of indigenous peoples. ... Read more

Book Description

In analyzing the obstacles to democratization in post- independence Africa, Mahmood Mamdani offers a bold, insightful account of colonialism's legacy--a bifurcated power that mediated racial domination through tribally organized local authorities, reproducing racial identity in citizens and ethnic identity in subjects. Many writers have understood colonial rule as either "direct" (French) or "indirect" (British), with a third variant--apartheid--as exceptional. This benign terminology, Mamdani shows, masks the fact that these were actually variants of a despotism. While direct rule denied rights to subjects on racial grounds, indirect rule incorporated them into a "customary" mode of rule, with state-appointed Native Authorities defining custom. By tapping authoritarian possibilities in culture, and by giving culture an authoritarian bent, indirect rule (decentralized despotism) set the pace for Africa; the French followed suit by changing from direct to indirect administration, while apartheid emerged relatively later. Apartheid, Mamdani shows, was actually the generic form of the colonial state in Africa.

Through case studies of rural (Uganda) and urban (South Africa) resistance movements, we learn how these institutional features fragment resistance and how states tend to play off reform in one sector against repression in the other. Reforming a power that institutionally enforces tension between town and country, and between ethnicities, is the key challenge for anyone interested in democratic reform in Africa. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Intelligent, but make sure you have time for it...
Mamdani succeeds in breaking the colonial political system into pieces drawing the distinction between urban direct rule which spoke the language of civil society and civil rights, and rural indirect rule, which spoke of community and culture and describes them as different faces of the bifurcated colonial state. This bifurcated system dissipated with Independence revealing the need of a new agenda for the newly created state. The first duty of the state was to bring together the different stratums in the society for the reconstruction of a both ethnical and political identity. Democracy was the prescribed solution to react against apartheid and a tribalized native society. Mamdani's claims that whereas democratization brought winds that will remove erstwhile privileges inherited from a colonial, white dominated central power; it failed to conquer the system that kept the peasants under the hold of a tribal authorit ... Read more

Book Description

This mainstream, comprehensive cultural anthropology text takes an applied perspective to the study of society's behavior. This application of anthropological knowledge, theory, and methods to the solution of specific societal problems is integrated throughout the text in such a manner that it shows the student what can be done with anthropology today. ... Read more

Book Description

This collection of readings exposes students to the breadth of theoretical viewpoints and issues in the field of medical anthropology. The text provides specific examples and case studies of research as it is applied in a range of health settings — from clinical encounters to preventive services to international health. ... Read more

Book Description

This indispensable reference is a compilation of the ethnobotany of Florida. Emphasizing tropical plants, which are rarely covered in North American botany texts, it presents a cross-cultural study of the plants shared by different floras and peoples. It provides synopses for all native plants used by indigenous tribes in the southeast United States, including common names and their translations, which are cross-referenced to their technical names. It details how each plant was used, ranging from daily utilitarian use, such as dyes, fibers, and wood, to medicinal, food, and religious uses. This book is a must for ethnobotanists, herbalists, anthropologists, ecologists, and conservation managers. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

A modern classic that holds up well
I have fond memories of this book. It was first published in 1967 and I read it pretty young; I'd have to reckon it among the more powerful influences of my youth. Controversial or not, there's something profoundly liberating about stepping back and looking at humankind as one species among others.

And actually, it's still a darned good book. As Stephen Gaskin remarks somewhere in _This Season's People_, human beings are so intelligent and conscious that it's a matter of controversy whether we're the lowest of the angels or the highest of the primates. Well, the controversy hasn't dissipated since this book was written, but it's still every bit as important for us to recognize and accept the reality of our animal nature.

For we _do_ have such a nature, no matter what view of evolution and/or creation we buy into. Evolutionary anthropologist Desmond Morris tends to treat us as though we have _only_ such a nature, as though our being an advanced ape is automatically at odds with our also being a fallen angel. That may or may not be true; I have my opinions on the subject, and you probably have yours.

But we don't need to settle that issue in order to find this book immensely valuable. The most solid evidence we have continues to confirm that we have a close genetic kinship with the other primates and that, biologically, we are best treated as primates ourselves. Whatever else may be true of us, this much is about as close as anything in science ever comes to fully established fact.

We can disagree about the precise mechanisms of evolution as much as we like; we can disagree about how much of our nature is really accounted for by this or that theory of evolution; but the one fact we can't get around on _any_ account is that as a matter of biology, we _are_ naked apes. We may be more than animals, but we are not less.

That's what makes Morris's account so valuable. There just isn't a lot of question that our evolutionary history has shaped us to a very great degree, and Morris is awfully good at explaining how and why this is so. There may be details in need of modification -- after all, evolutionary theory hasn't stood still for the past thirty-five years and some of Morris's own theories were far from universal even then -- but the overall structure is sound.

It's no surprise, of course, that this book was so controversial when it was first published; I'm not sure it would be all that much less controversial if it were published for the first time today. But boy, if you want to get a clear sense of what it _means_ for human beings to be primates, this is a great place to acquire it.

And contrary to what your initial intuition may be, it _especially_ belongs on the reading list of folks who think human beings have a spiritual side too. Nobody ever made much spiritual advance by denying the hard facts of his or her biological nature and pretending to be a disembodied spirit.

A Classic
Desmond Morris wrote "The Naked Ape" in the late 1960's, and it is a classic which established the field of evolutionary anthropology. His ideas were revolutionary at the time, and he clearly says so. If there is a fault in the book, it is that he covers too much ground too quickly. I think his purpose at the time, however, was simply to condition the reader to thinking of people as an animal that has been subject to the forces of biological evolution on the Savannah for 98 percent of our evolution. Our species only formed farming communities 10,000 years ago.

Much of Morris's conjecture has been turned into solid research in more recent years. For example, studies have found that males are sexually attracted to females having a waist/hips ratio of 0.7. This is universal among contemporary societies including primitive societies. When shown diagrams of women having different waist/hips ratios, male members of the primitive societies chose the 0.7 ratio and specifically indicated child bearing ability being linked to it. Females universally are attracted to males having a waist/hip ratio of 0.85.

The argument between nurturing versus evolution is likely to continue. This book started the argument. It is certainly a serious argument. Some readers may prefer not to think as humans as being animals. Some readers, particulary those interested in newer cultural trends such as feminism, may find certain of Morris's arguments objectionable. The material is oriented towards understanding how biological evolution of Homo Sapiens has affected their social behavior. It is not directly related to how to get along with your lover or spouse. However, the book was as thought provoking today as when it was written. It is an excellent introduction to the field of evolutionary anthropology.

Good read and some fasinating information!
I bought this book cheap second hand, and I'm surprised what a good purchase it was. This book is a basic beginners sort of guide into the world of anthropology/zoology but it is tailored to the average reader, and contains lots of interesting facts you may not already know about the animal kingdom, especially about the monkeys and apes. This book is bent towards the Darwinist theory of evolution, probably one of the most popular "scientific" theories people are taught today. Yet all this is still not much more than speculation, for there isn't ample concrete evidence to prove that this theory is true. Still, the question is : what if it is true? And if it is, then all these incredible things said in the book (I was very amused when reading the chapter about how and why human beings have nipples, lips, etc.) could be true! As I said - almost unbelievable, funny at times, and so fascinating! The book isn't overly lengthy at all, so its pretty short and sweet, but most of the general public will definitely learn at least one or two things after reading it.

thenakedape
i can't comment on the validity of the statements made in the book (so i wont), but as for the book itself, it doesn't take much to get into it, i naturally started by reading the sex chapter first, then started at the beginning and read the whole thing, and i found it very fascinating, as would most readers. I wouldn't say that someone who doesn't like to read would enjoy the book, but anyone (who likes reading) with the least interest in humanity would enjoy it. At the very least its an amusing book.

Fascinating!
I read this book over 30 years ago and it remains one of the most impressive works I've ever read. It was actually I book I got from the book club because I forgot to tell them not to send it to me. I thought that I might as well read it and I was thoroughly astounded by what it had to say. The author, Desmond Morris, takes a look at man as a part of the animal kingdom and gives us a portrait of a species only slightly above other genuses and species. His examples and explanations are thoroughly compelling and one comes away presuaded. The question is; persuaded of what? Does "The Naked Ape" denigrate humans or elevate our fellow primates? You decide when you read this most enjoyable work written by an author who knows how to communicate his ideas. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides readers with a topical, social-anthropological introduction to the Middle East. It synthesizes historical, ethnographic, and socioeconomic data within a social science framework., and places in proper context the region's distinctive “way of life”—which has always been at the crossroads of cultures and civilizations. Comprehensive and straightforward coverage includes distinctive theoretical forms without the use of social science jargon..Chapter topics include the prophet, religion, identity, and culture of Islam; communal identities and ethnic groups; pastoralism and nomadic society; agriculture and the changing village; cities and urban life; women and the social order; leadership, patronage, and tribalism as local organizations of power; and challenges and dilemmas facing the Middle East today.For individuals who want to explore problems, patterns, and cultural processes of the area known as the “central Middle East.” ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Many Faces of the Middle East
Two New York professors have written a clear, non-bombastic account of the varied peoples, and their cultures, who have populated the Middle East for thousands of years. Because there are far more Arab and Turkic peoples in the region, the book focuses far more on them than on the Jewish communities or on Israel. But the latter country is not overlooked, and there are a fair number of references and explanations of Jewish issues. The authors take an anthropological, rather than a political science, view of the region, which makes for easier reading, and keeps the reader from having to wonder about the hidden meaning of each statement.

They look at the early history, with migration a big factor, the arrival and growth of Islam, first as a religion and then, quickly, as a political force, farming practices, the growth of cities, familial ans social issues and development of contemporary political states.

This book is well worth the time of people who wonder about the many ethnic groups in the Mideast, especially those who think there are just two sides and two kinds of people there contending for the same ground. They don't spend a lot of time laying arguments out for who should control what part of Jerusalem; they're too busy talking about things in a longer range historical context.

Though written for the academic world, it is an easy read, offering us a thorough perspective into a vital part of the world. ... Read more

Book Description

Yanomami raises questions central to the field of anthropology-questions concerning the practice of fieldwork, the production of knowledge, and anthropology's intellectual and ethical vision of itself. Using the Yanomami controversy-one of anthropology's most famous and explosive imbroglios-as its starting point, this book draws readers into not only reflecting on but refashioning the very heart and soul of the discipline. It is both the most up-to-date and thorough public discussion of the Yanomami controversy available and an innovative and searching assessment of the current state of anthropology.The Yanomami controversy came to public attention through the publication of Patrick Tierney's best-selling book, Darkness in El Dorado, in which he accuses James Neel, a prominent geneticist who belonged to the National Academy of Sciences, as well as Napoleon Chagnon, whose introductory text on the Yanomami is perhaps the best-selling anthropological monograph of all time, of serious human rights violations. This book identifies the ethical dilemmas of the controversy and raises deeper, structural questions about the discipline. A portion of the book is devoted to a unique roundtable in which important scholars on different sides of the issues debate back and forth with each other. This format draws readers into deciding, for themselves, where they stand on the controversy's-and many of anthropology's-central concerns.Illustrations: 28 b/w photographs, 1 map ... Read more

Reviews (1)

By far the most important book on the controversy
In 2000 a controversy exploded around numerous, diverse, and very serious allegations about violations of professional ethics and abuses of human rights made in a book by investigative journalist Patrick Tierney, Darkness in El Dorado: How Scientists and Journalists Devastated the Amazon. The present book edited by Dr. Robert Borofsky critically examines the fallout from Tierney's book.This second book is by far the most thorough, penetrating, balanced, and fair assessment of the controversy which is easily the ugliest scandal in the entire history of anthropology.The editor, and all of the six authors who contribute to a series of round table discussions and debates, are to be commended for their constructive approach to this controversy, unlike a few others elsewhere who persist in spreading as smoke screens misinformation, disinformation, and, just plain lies, even in various scientific journals, books, and organizations. Borofsky most perceptively and skillfully provides the broader background, context, implications, and ramifications regarding the controversy, including the AAA Task Force on Darkness in El Dorado and other reactions.Numerous very attractive and meaningful pedagogical devices are included so that the book can be most useful in many different courses on a wide range of topics. As promised on the back cover and elsewhere in the book, "All of the royalties from this book will be donated to helping the Yanomami improve their health care."This is an unprecedented,historic, and revolutionary book which may well contribute to some serious soul searching in anthropology and stimulate some positive transformations in the profession.This book should be read by every instructor and student in anthropology.For more background see http://www.publicanthropology.org.

Dr. Leslie E. Sponsel, Professor, Anthropology, University of Hawai`i ... Read more

Book Description

This encyclopedia provides description and analysis of the terms, concepts, and issues of social and cultural anthropology. International in authorship and coverage, this accessible work is fully indexed and cross-referenced. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A loyal friend
This book is invaluable. Whatever be your interest in anthropology, this will serve as a comprehensive guide and jumping off point for all areas of the discipline. It is easy to follow, well-written and full of references for further reading. Although it is not suitable for in-depth study (as the title suggests, it is an encyclopedia), it is a fantastic aid for clarifying and summarizing a broad spectrum of topics. For students and the novice, this book is a gem, just don't rely on it to get you through your exams. ... Read more

Book Description

Written in an easy-to-read, narrative format, this volume provides the most comprehensive coverage of North American Indians from earliest evidence through 1990. It shows Indians as "a people with history" and not as primitives, covering current ideological issues and political situations including treaty rights, sovereignty, and repatriation. A must-read for anyone interested in North American Indian history. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Check This Out
Recently I took an class on Native American history which used this as the textbook. Its a decent book for getting an introduction to the Nations of North America though it doesn't always go into as much detail as it could, and it tends to only focus on major events. So its nice for getting a broad picture, but not for focusing in on the finer details. As with most books on the subject, things are arranged by "culture groups" or "regions" though the opening chapter is focused on the early history, archaeology, paleo-Indians and a history of anthropology in the Americas.

From there it goes on to the Nation-states of Mexico, the Greater Southwest, the Southeast, the Northeast, the Prarie-Plains, California and the Rockies, the Pacific Northwest and the Arctic/Subarctic. Each region opens with a timeline, showing major events and focuses in on history from the archaeic periods to the modern era with a look at specific Nations thrown in. These are peppered with photographs, illustrations, maps and accounts from Native peoples themselves or looks at specific topics like Sequoyah, the Ghost Dance or peace treaties. Obviously some of these chapters are a little pressed, such as the Southwest which focuses on the ancient Hohokam, Mogollan and Anasazi civilizations alongside the Pueblos, Yumans, Yaqui, Tohono O'odham and Athapaskans (Navajo and Apache); all greatly different from one another despite living in the same "cultural area". Conversely, the chapter on the Southeast flowed more or less seemlessly through the archaeic period to the Mound Builder civilizations to the Five Civilized Nations and the Powhatan Confederacy of historic times. Closing out each chapter is a list of recommended further readings on the subject, going into further depth. I recognized some of the titles and must admit that the list is quite good.

After that it focuses in on the modern American Indian community in the United States and Canada, covering basically the whole 20th century. This is a really nice chapter, but the fact that its so small and has so much to cover really kind of irked me. Yes, I do think it was important of them to stress the pan-Indian awareness that has arisen recently, and yes the First Nations face many similar situations everywhere from the Black Hills to Nunavat to the Navajo Nation, but still each part of this continent is different and there is so much diversity that its hard to really make any general blanket statements. Even about the last 100 years. It then closes out with a short chapter on anthropology and the American Indian. This is an interesting chapter, examining things such as the languages of North America, but again a bit too short. All in all though I would have to say this was an excellent introductary text and certainly worthwhile for understanding North Americn history. Just not the best thing for particular Nations.

Interesting Account of Native American Indians
This is an extremely thorough account of different American Indian tribes. This is a must have for anyone interested or studying anthropology or Native American studies. Every chapter centers on a different geographical location and the different tribes in those areas. I recommend this highly. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great, but too expensive
If it weren't for the price, this would be the single best introduction to the anthropology of religion yet composed. In fact, even with the price, it's the best. Too bad about the price....

In essence, the volume is a compendium of classic works on the anthropology of religion, from across the twentieth century. Everybody's here, jammed in hugger-mugger. The organization is thematic, and you can certainly argue that the particular themes are weak or that the works chosen don't always fit them, but really it's the sheer breadth of the articles that makes the volume so useful.

If you are interested in the anthropology of religion, the table of contents will stun you. You already have some of these articles xeroxed somewhere -- but where? You may have made copies for your students, or put them on reserve. But then you have to do it again, because chances are the reserve desk has lost them, or some stinker student has taken the copies away so only he can study for the exam.

If this book cost, let's say, $50, you could simply assign it and save the trouble. You'd probably require the students to read half the articles, and the rest would serve admirably for additional background reading or alternative viewpoints. Leach, Levi-Strauss, Malinowski, Frazer, Radcliffe-Brown, Homans, Turner, Ortner, Geertz, etc. etc.

If you are a professional and don't own this, go buy it: you'll thank me later, when the bills are paid. Try reading it cover to cover: I promise you will learn something, however expert you are, simply by being confronted with this mass of great work in the field.

My only criticism, really, is that it's so exclusively anthropolgical in a strictly disciplinary sense. Eliade and his ilk simply don't show up on the horizon, nor the developments that arose from his influence (e.g. Jonathan Z. Smith). Beyond that, I have nothing but praise for the book.

Pity it's so damn expensive! ... Read more

Book Description

Reproductive ecology is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing subareas of evolutionary anthropology. Thanks to recently developed, noninvasive techniques for monitoring key aspects of reproductive physiology, new investigations into the interactions between reproduction and a broad array of ecological, behavioral, and constitutional variables can now be carried out under the full range of cultural and ecological conditions that characterize human beings and wild primates. Not only do these studies dramatically expand our understanding of human and primate physiology, but they shed fresh light on central issues in human evolution as well. In Reproductive Ecology and Human Evolution, Dr. Ellison, one of the pioneers in this new field, brings together thirty-one of the most active and influential scientists investigating the evolutionary ecology of primate and human reproduction. The resulting volume both captures the current state of the field and charts the research agenda that will guide its future.

The volume’s eighteen chapters are grouped into four sections that reflect the central focus of the contributions: Physiological Context; Ecological Context; Developmental Context; and Comparative Context,. The lively nature of the field is echoed in the resonance that extends to many of the individual chapters, wherein areas of controversy and disagreement are presented along with areas of consolidation and consensus. Students and researchers in the fields of biological anthropology, human biology, and primatology, as well as those from adjacent disciplines such as demography, medicine, social anthropology, and public health, will find Reproductive Ecology and Human Evolution an indispensable guide to the frontiers of this exciting terrain ... Read more

Book Description

A pioneer of modern forensic anthropology reveals secrets of the world's first-and only-laboratory devoted to death.

Forensic science and murder investigations are among the most fascinating topics of our time. Dominating television and print media every season, both as fiction and nonfiction, the subject could not be hotter. As one of the world's leading forensic anthropologists, Dr. Bill Bass is the premier guide to this unusual world.

Nowhere is there another lab like Dr. Bass's: on a hillside in Tennessee, human bodies decompose in the open air, aided by insects, bacteria, and birds, unhindered by coffins or mausoleums. At the "Body Farm," nature takes its course with corpses buried in shallow graves, submerged in water, locked in trunks of cars. As scientific stand-ins for murder victims, they serve the needs of science-and the cause of justice.

For thirty years, Dr. Bass's research has revolutionized the field of forensic science, particularly by pinpointing "time since death" in murder cases. In his riveting book, he investigates real cases and leads readers on an unprecedented journey behind the locked gates of the "Body Farm." A master scientist and engaging storyteller, Bass shares his most intriguing cases: his revisit of the Lindbergh kidnapping and murder fifty years later; the mystery of a headless corpse, whose identity astonished police; the telltale bugs that finally sent a murderous grandfather to death row-and many more. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Must read for forensic science buffs
I am from Knoxville, TN, and have grown up with the "mystery" of the body farm. The book is wonderful in its detail of how and why the research facility was started. I read the book in two days, and was left with wanting more. For those in the southeast area, you might recognize some of the case studies mentioned in the book, and it's interesting to find out how much UT's anthropology department was involved in those cases.

It was also nice to learn more about Dr. Bass' personal life, not just his vital stats. He is a bit of a local legend, so it was nice to see the "human" side of him in this book.

For anyone interested in forensic science, don't pass up this chance to learn more about it!

Excellent
This is a book that is hard to put down. Those who have read Patrica Cornwell's novel, "The Body Farm", are already familiar with the forensic lab set up by Dr. Bill Bass that studies decomposition of the human body. In "Death's Acre" Bass tells the non-fiction account of how the body farm came to be. Along with the forensic details, are interesting cases that Bass has worked. The cases explain the need for this often gruesome line of study. Thomas Noguchi and Michael Baden used this method very effectively in educating the public about forensic pathology. Bass now opens the eyes of the public by explaining more about the world of forensic anthropology. This is a fascinating and entertaining book, as Bass is able to convey his story with intelligence, humor, and compassion.

Engaging, though not for the faint of heart
This is an utterly fascinating book describing a series of case studies taken from the career of the first author, Bill Bass, who is one of the nation's leading forensic anthropologists and the founder of the Body Farm. I had first encountered the Body Farm from reading about it in the book by Mary Roach, "Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers" (a wickedly funny and interesting book in its own right). I have also had a life-long interest in true crime books, so when I found out about "Death's Acre" I ordered it promptly.

And I was not disappointed. A previous reviewer expressed some dissatisfaction that the book did not deal solely with the work done at the Body Farm. While it is true that the title of the book is perhaps misleading in this regard, I personally am glad that the book focused as much as it did on the variety of cases that Dr. Bass consulted on throughout his career. I find it more interesting to hear about how forensic anthropology can help bring a murderer to justice than to read clinical data regarding just how many maggots can hatch in a body after 30 minutes in what temperature.

This is probably a good time to offer a gentle warning: This is a great book and totally fascinating, but if that last sentence about maggots upset you, you should probably forego buying and reading this book because that is only a mild taste of what you will encounter inside its pages. What happens to a human body after death isn't pretty, and the authors do a great job of describing it clinically and in terms that a lay audience will understand. But you need a pretty strong stomach to deal with it, especially when what is being described is, say, the brutally murdered body of a four-year-old girl. The book also contains a section of photographs, some of which involve decaying bodies (naturally enough given that this is the subject matter of the book), but if you do not particularly want to see pictures of decaying bodies, find another book to read.

But I would not want prospective readers to think that this book is gory just for the sake of sensationalism. The authors draw a compelling portrait of the role of forensic science in solving crimes and convicting the perpetrators of the crimes. The tone of the book is always scientific and the attitude toward the victims and research subjects at the Body Farm highly respectful.

The writing is also terrific. I think Dr. Blass made an excellent decision when he enlisted Jon Jefferson as co-author, as the writing is more literary and enjoyable than you expect from most mainstream academicians. The only suggestion for improvement I would make is that I wish the authors had included a few more pictures or diagrams of some of the more important diagnostic cues that are relied on in determining gender, age, and race. For example, we are repeatedly told of structural differences in the pelvis and skull that help to determine sex; it would have been helpful to see diagrams illustrating those differences.

Bottom line: Terrific book, one that left me half-wishing I had become a forensic anthropologist instead of a psychologist.

The BEST book I've read in a long time!
Excellent read - HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Great book! Written for a wide audience. Easy read.
Dr. Bass has created a very interesting and directly written book in Death's Acre. Written in an unconventional format this book tells the history of the Body Farm, contemporary forensic anthropology, and Dr. Bass himself. Interspersed in the historical chronologies are specific forensic cases relating to the events (conception of the Body Farm, etc.) or research they spawned (larval life cycles, etc.). The cases themselves are very compelling stories, but the wonder is that they all relate to events of modern forensic innovation and discovery. Dr. Bass was not the first Forensic Anthropologist, but between his research and his patronage, he has been a leading passenger and teacher in the modern age of discovery. ... Read more

Book Description

"If you want to know what anthropology is, look at what anthropologists do," write the authors of Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction.This engaging overview of the field combines an accessible account of some of the discipline's guiding principles and methodology with abundant examples and illustrations of anthropologists at work.

Peter Just and John Monaghan begin by discussing anthropology's most important contributions to modern thought: its investigation of culture as a distinctively human characteristic, its doctrine of cultural relativism, and its methodology of fieldwork and ethnography. Drawing on examples from their own fieldwork in Indonesia and Mesoamerica, they examine specific ways in which social and cultural anthropology have advanced our understanding of human society and culture. Including an assessment of anthropology's present position, and a look forward to its likely future, Social and Cultural Anthropology will make fascinating reading for anyone curious about this social science. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not Mired In Postmodern Rhetoric
This is the first Anthropology introduction I have read that doesn't get bogged down in postmodern academic speak. It was very clear and interesting, with good examples.

This was the first VSI I read and it made me fall in love with the series.

Get a first impression of the field
This is a great little book to get a first impression of anthropology. The two authors present different historical developments and schools of thought. I had not know anything about this academic field before, but this book made me want to read more. Especially helpful with that were the examples that pertained to the authors' own fieldwork in Mexico and Indonesia. Reading about bee larvas and onion soup just makes the ideas presented more "real". ... Read more

Book Description

Why and how do contemporary questions of culture become so highly charged questions of identity? The question of cultural identity lies at the heart of current debates in cultural studies and social theory. Are the distinctive identities that have defined the social and cultural world of modern societies for so long--gender, sexuality, race, class, and nationality--in decline? And have they given rise to new forms of identification, thus fragmenting the modern individual as a unified subject? Questions of Cultural Identity offers a wide-ranging exploration of these issues, outlining the reasons why the question of identity is so compelling and yet so problematic. Individual contributors interrogate different dimensions of the crisis of identity providing both theoretical and substantive insights into its contemporary manifestations. Without privileging any one approach to the problem of identity, the book opens up a number of significant questions and offers insights into different approaches to understanding identity. In doing so, it both illuminates and advances debates about identity and its futures. Questions of Cultural Identity will be essential reading for students and researchers in cultural studies and sociology and across the humanities and social science disciplines. ... Read more