Customer Reviews

Victorian Anthropology

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Stocking's "Victorian Anthropolgy" proves that there was life before Darwin. The book begins with an overview of anthropological theories, both in England and in Europe, and examines how political influences determined which of these were accepted by English scholars. Fixed firmly in the context of Victorian England, Stocking clearly shows the extent to which anthropological treatises influenced not only scientific thought but also social policy. An informative and enlightening book, "Victorian Anthropology" would be particularly useful to students of British cultural and/or anthropological history.

I had Stocking as a professor, and we read this book in his course on British anthropology. This is probably my single favorite book on anthropology, and I can't believe it has gone out of print! Anyway, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in cultural anthropology. More importantly, to students & professors interested in the formative years of anthropology, and ethnography, this book is a must own. Stocking's other books are not bad, although they tend to be collections of essays and are rather hit or miss, depending on your interests. Victorian Anthropology is his magnum opus. Hopefully it gets reissued one day.