A concise field of study on the world’s diverse peoples, with clear portraits of life, work, and belief.
This edition surveys a range of communities, from the Bushmen of South Africa to the Negritos of the Pacific and the Melanesians of the Pacific islands. It offers concise physical descriptions, notes on language and living conditions, and sketches of daily life, work, and social organization. The book also covers housing, food practices, marriage, rites of passage, and ideas about life after death, drawing on a broad spectrum of regional cultures. Throughout, the writing aims to present accessible snapshots that help readers compare strands of human diversity while avoiding speculation beyond the presented material.
- Discover how different peoples describe themselves and are described, including body features, dress, and tools.
- See daily life topics such as hunting, shelter, food sources, and family structure.
- Learn about social rules, marriage patterns, gender roles, and rites around death and burial.
- Explore beliefs and traditions across regions, including religious ideas and ceremonial practices.
Ideal for readers interested in anthropology, world cultures, and the history of how scholars describe human diversity.