Customer Reviews

Unsettled: An Anthropology of the Jews

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This book could be more accurately described as a collection of essays by a scholar with specific interests in selected topics of Jewish history. The most notable omission is the lack of discussion of Jewish experience outside the Middle East except for Spain, North Africa, Ethiopia, China, and Cochin. There is nothing about the great migration of Jews into the tolerant Polish Commonwealth, so there is nothing about the role of Jews in Eastern Europe until Zionism and anti-Semitism spring up in the nineteenth century. He describes the destruction of the Jewish communities in Poland, but how did they get there and what was their anthropology? I bought the book to find out, but there was nothing. Also, his footnotes and bibliography make no reference to sources that place this vital topic in a wider historical context, as a general history of Eastern Europe or even of Jews in the Habsburg Monarchy, for example, or Russia. What is the culture that gave us Freud, Marx, and Mahler? Nothing on that. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was a refuge for Jews from Western Europe. Nohting on that. This is definitely not a book for the general reader.

This is not a straight dry history book. It is an anthropological account of a people who have survived despite all odds. The author delves into the intellectual, sociological and economical reasons as he goes around the globe to tell the story. There have been better histories told about the Jews of Eastern Europe but not necessarily from this perspective. However, the accounts of Jews in Ethiopia, China, Uzbekistan, to name a few are eye opening. The Bible calls the Israelites a stiff-necked people. Perhaps, without realizing it, the author explains that in essence, this is the reason for Jewish suvival through the ages. No matter the tyrant, king, oppression, opportunity, the Jewish people kept to the principles of their faith. This is a good read.

As an avid reader of history, I purchased this book expecting a historical survey of Jewish history from an anthropolgists' point of view. It is not really a history at all, but a collection of anecdotes and interesting observations. That would be fine, if they were held together with a coherent theme. Or held together at all.

The author does not even seem able to put together a cohesive chapter. He jumps all over the place and it makes a difficult, at times painful read. It really needs an editor, and if it had one, they should be fired for poor work.

The author also makes factual mistakes. One that jumps out is a claim that only Jewish culture used the lunar calendar. This is false. China used the lunar calendar throughout its long history, right into the 20th century. I also found the survey of ancient Jewish history to be weak: no context at all is provided about the area or its people and the author's conclusions are arrived at with little supporting evidence or even argument. For example much is made of a single inscription in a stone from 1200 BC.

Overall the book is more of a personal journey by the author into his cultural roots, than it is a sytematic or well thought-out study. If you want the later, don't buy this book.

The 3,000 year old history of the Jews has been the subject of
many one volume works, and some many volume masterpieces. It is impossible to be "comprehensive" so the author has to select
certain episodes to construct a winning narrative. Melvin Konner succeeds because he is such a talented writer. This
book has the flavor of a James Michener novel as opposed to a dry scholarly tome. Take a look at just two examples of his writing: "The roots of the Jews are lost in the deep, blood-soaked mud of ancient empire." And speaking about Jacob wrestling with the angel, Konner writes: "But of course it is not just Jacob who limps away hurt, with a new name. It is all his descendants, destined, he has been told, to be as numerous as the stars. ISRAEL: a whole nation of God-wrestlers, striving and undaunted, hurt but not subdued."

True there are many areas of Jewish history that are passed over. Rather than include everything, Kooner searches for nodal points that changed the Jewish outlook. I especially liked the chapter entitled: "Women of Valor; How Jewish Women broke the Patriachal Bonds."

If the reader wants a handle on what makes the Jewish people so
important in world history, this is the book to read.

Absolutely outstanding Jewish History for those looking for a reality-based accounting. Superbly written - reads like a novel. I couldn't believe it was already out of print and needed to be purchased through a secondary seller (which was easy enough to do through Amazon). I cannot praise this book enough.

Konner is a brilliant writer and a wonderful, exquisitely embellished thinker. His ability to look for and follow many variant streams of theory, thought and action without loosing his way is very impressive. This book is wonderfully rich to read and satisfying in the way provides fodder for rumination. My only reservation is that it is not until nearly the end of the book that Konner's own strong point of view, which clearly informed his choice and handling of much of his material, became clear to me. Perhaps I was a naive reader, but I don't think so. I now wonder whether I need to reread the book with this in mind.

Dr. Konner makes good use of the rich theory and methodology of anthropology as he tackles the complex subject of Judaism. I bought his book for two reasons: 1)I am an anthropologist married to an historian and have always thought, "These guys would do better if they paid attention to anthropology!" I was excited to see it done. 2)In a lifetime of living among, loving and working with Jews, I've never felt I had a good understanding of the culture.

Problems solved! Thank you, Dr. Konner!

A blend of broad based scientific, social and cultural history, including written accounts. Dr. Konner used a very readable, informative style. At the same time, with his documentation and in depth analysis, we have an authoritative account of the Jewish people. Contrary to current propaganda, Jews lived in Israel pretty much continuously since the bronze age. How to account for Jewish high achievement. An early Egyptian Pharaoh boasts of ending the Israelites. Early Chinese and Indian Jewish centers. Konner elaborates themes of Jewish lives across time, many places and offers a coherent account. Thankfully, his work is readable without slick and superficial constructions.

A great in depth summary of history and human relations for the Jewish people which allows me knowledge to work on a historical novel with knowledge backing up my storyline.

I first heard of Melvin Konner, a professor of anthropology at Emory University, when he gave a speech at a conference on science and religion in 2006. He tangled with famous atheist authors Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris at that conference. Later that year he tangled with Jimmy Carter after Carter wrote a controversial book on the Middle East that Konner felt was intellectually dishonest. Like me, Konner is a non-religious Jew and I looked forward to reading him again (I read a previous book of his called Medicine at the Crossroads and enjoyed it).

Konner does not disappoint in this book, as he gives the reader a fascinating overview of Jewish history and culture. He is, though an atheist, clearly sympathetic to Judaism and to the state of Israel. . The part on the Holocaust was, while depressing, nonetheless very illuminating. This book isn't a complete history of the Jews, as some readers have pointed out, but it is a good overview. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Jewish culture and history

This book is an absolute tour de force. While it is a scholarly and erudite synthesis of history, theology, anthropolgy, philosophy and many other disciplines, it reads more like a great novel, albeit one laced with poetry as well. Konner takes us on a wonderful trip--- an adventure story in which we come to understand how and why this small people, the Jews, have occupied such an important place in the story of how we have come to be who we are in the modern Western world. Reading it is like listening to a wise old uncle weave together strands of different tales into a coherent story that finally, ultimately makes sense of a heretofore perplexing question. I have not only enjoyed the book myself, but have already bought several copies for others, all of whom are enjoying it immensely! I URGE YOU TO READ THIS BOOK!