Description
Book SynopsisThis major work, now available in paperback, by one of the world''s leading anthropologists discusses the style, imagery and metaphor of the great anthropologists, thereby developing Geertz''s claim that doing good anthropology is like writing good literature.
Trade Review"America's most renowned cultural anthropologist . . . analyses the literary forms of several anthropological notables - Bronislaw Malinowski, Ruth Benedict, Claude Levi-Strauss, E. E. Evans-Pritchard, and others . . . The appreciation of Geertz's brilliant writing is much like the appreciation of a brilliant metaphor."
New York Times Book Review .
"The racy colloquialisms, the quick-fire prose, sharp glancing allusions, aphorism and tropes of `Works and Lives' force the reader on at such a brisk pace that, for some, reading it may seem like watching a speeded-up sequence of an old film . . . Those who can be expected to take this book in their stride will find it a lively and original critical comparison of the work of four remarkable anthropologists." Times Literary Supplement .
"Geertz is a brilliant writer - obviously, he is also a brilliant thinker - endlessly witty and quotable." Boston Globe .Table of Contents1. Being There: Anthropology and the Scene of Writing 2. The World in a Text: How to Read `Tristes Tropiques' 3. Slide Show: Evans-Pritchard's African Transparencies 4. I-Witnessing: Malinowski's Children 5. Us/Not-Us: Benedict's Travels 6. Being Here: Whose Life Is It Anyway?I ndex students and academics in anthropology, sociology, history, literature.
