Pathways of Power: Building an Anthropology of the Modern World [Paperback]

Eric R. Wolf (Author), Sydel Silverman (Author), Aram Yengoyan (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520223349 | ISBN-13: 978-0520223349 | Publication Date: January 1, 2001 | Edition: 1

This collection of twenty-eight essays by renowned anthropologist Eric R. Wolf is a legacy of some of his most original work, with an insightful foreword by Aram Yengoyan. Of the essays, six have never been published and two have not appeared in English until now. Shortly before his death, Wolf prepared introductions to each section and individual pieces, as well as an intellectual autobiography that introduces the collection as a whole. Sydel Silverman, who completed the editing of the book, says in her preface, "He wanted this selection of his writings over the past half-century to serve as part of the history of how anthropology brought the study of complex societies and world systems into its purview."

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Eric Wolf has literally set the terms for anthropological thinking about peasantries, culture and power, complex societies, and interactions between noncapitalist societies and capitalism. Every item in this excellent collection has stimulated and influenced both my own thought and that of many others in our field, as well as beyond it. "--Katherine Verdery, University of Michigan

"This powerful body of work begins ('Anthropology') and ends ('Concepts') in a rather speculative vein, taking us into the ideas of others and then back to Wolf. In these two sections we get a picture of the development of currents in anthropology (and the social sciences more broadly) from the early fifties to the present and the way in which Wolf's intellectual and political development was threaded through those debates and controversies. In the middle two sections ('Connections' and 'Peasants') we get the pathbreaking pieces that made Wolf the major figure he is. "--Gavin Smith, University of Toronto

"There is a large audience, to be found in anthropology and in related fields like history, cultural studies, gender studies, etc., who will receive the writings of Eric Wolf with appreciation. . . . His work is fully in the comparative anthropological tradition . . . [and] demonstrates the power of comparative historical analysis. "--Abraham Rosman, Barnard College, Columbia University

From the Back Cover

"Eric Wolf has literally set the terms for anthropological thinking about peasantries, culture and power, complex societies, and interactions between noncapitalist societies and capitalism. Every item in this excellent collection has stimulated and influenced both my own thought and that of many others in our field, as well as beyond it. " (Katherine Verdery, University of Michigan ) "This powerful body of work begins ('Anthropology') and ends ('Concepts') in a rather speculative vein, taking us into the ideas of others and then back to Wolf. In these two sections we get a picture of the development of currents in anthropology (and the social sciences more broadly) from the early fifties to the present and the way in which Wolf's intellectual and political development was threaded through those debates and controversies. In the middle two sections ('Connections' and 'Peasants') we get the pathbreaking pieces that made Wolf the major figure he is. " (Gavin Smith, University of Toronto ) "There is a large audience, to be found in anthropology and in related fields like history, cultural studies, gender studies, etc., who will receive the writings of Eric Wolf with appreciation. . . . His work is fully in the comparative anthropological tradition . . . [and] demonstrates the power of comparative historical analysis. " (Abraham Rosman, Barnard College, Columbia University)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 488 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520223349
• ISBN-13: 978-0520223349
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #895,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars important collection, October 2, 2001

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This review is from: Pathways of Power: Building an Anthropology of the Modern World (Paperback)

This is an excellent collection of some of Eric Wolf's most important work particularly for the reader interested in how power is created, negotiated and resisted. Furthermore, Wolf talks about this process in a clear but nevertheless provocative way. People who may not have access to libraries with back issues of journals will also benefit as the collection includes articles by Wolf that date to the 1950s and 1960s.