Sharing Our Worlds

"A thoroughgoing introduction for the intelligent reader--written in a highly accessible style, with plenty of excellent examples and clear, sound argumentation. Hendry has done an outstanding job of laying out her vision of the important theoretical positions in cultural and social anthropology, while also telling us about their weaknesses. Her book is not merely a copy of earlier efforts of a similar sort but represents some careful, productive, and highly intelligent rethinking of the priorities." --Michael Herzfeld, Harvard UniversitySharing Our Worldsoffers the perfect introduction to cultural and social anthropology for anyone approaching the subject for the first time. Hendry introduces classic theoretical ideas of the key founders of cultural and social anthropology, placing them in their historical and geographical context. Carefully structured so that one chapter builds on the next,Sharing Our Worldscovers the core topics in an even-handed and illuminating manner, introducing the reader to divergent views on all the most basic subjects-food, hygiene, gift-exchange, rites of passage, symbolism, religion, politics, and the environment-and raising awareness of the emotional value people place on those views. Covering a wide array of countries, it brings the subject of cultural and social anthropology right into the neighborhood of the reader, wherever they are in the world.Written in a refreshingly accessible style,Sharing Our Worldsoffers a compelling introduction to an enigmatic and exciting subject, drawing out its relevance and value for the complex multicultural world in which we live.