Customer Reviews

One Discipline, Four Ways: British, German, French, and American Anthropology (Halle Lectures)

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This book is very helpful in describing the four different schools of (primarily sociocultural) anthropology. I'm a grad student in public anthro who majored in international relations in college, so I really liked the overview of the discipline that it provided. Unless you have a strong interest in Germany, you can probably skip that section; however, the chapters on French anthropology offer an insightful contrast to the British and American traditions. Frederik Barth (Boston U) writes about British anthro in a detailed yet clear manner. Sydel Silverman (who was married to the late and influential Eric Wolf) also does a good job discussing the American school. I would have liked to have read more about contemporary topics/anthropologists and about applied/public anthropology. However, this book is meant to be a historical overview, so I don't really hold the lack of recent topics against them. Even my boyfriend, who is a grad student in international relations, liked this book. Recommended for anthro students as well as those who would like to learn more about the subject and prominent anthropologists.