Description
Book SynopsisExplores the dimensions of the Mead-Freeman controversy as it developed publicly and as it played out privately, including the personal relationships, professional rivalries, and larger-than-life personalities that drove it. This book reviews key questions about Samoan sexuality, the alleged hoaxing of Mead, and the meaning of the controversy.
Trade ReviewA superbly crafted and highly readable book that essentially lays the Mead-Freeman controversy to rest. - James Cote, author of Adolescent Storm and Stress: An Evaluation of the Mead-Freeman Controversy ""There is simply no other book like it. What Shankman does, very successfully, is analyze the nature of the controversy in meticulous detail, examine the main participants in the debate, and evaluate the quality of the arguments on both sides. Valuable to anthropologists and other academics, the book is also eminently accessible to any interested layperson."" - Nancy McDowell, author of The Mundugumor: From the Field Notes of Margaret Mead and Reo Fortune ""A compelling read about the controversy. Shankman, whose anthropological engagement with Samoa covers forty years and who met both Freeman and Mead, presents measured accounts of their careers, reasons for studying Samoa, and personal lives."" - Roger Sanjek, author of The Future of Us All: Race and Neighborhood Politics in New York City
