Customer Reviews

We, the Alien: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book was the main text for a cultural anthro correspondence course I took through the University of California, Berkeley in 1997-1998.

The book is about 350 pages, 8x11 format, black and white, no color. I would rate the typography and lay-out as average to somewhat below average. Graphics are simple block diagrams. Text is dense but easy on the eyes. The book is organized around the following broad topics: people, kinship, power, meaning, context, and has 15 chapters.

I enjoyed reading the book. Bohannan has a conversational, clear writing style that keeps the book from being dry and scholastic. The scope of the book is excellent. He covers a wide variety of topics very thoroughly, The book is punctuated with side-bars titled "We the Alien". They contain examples of parts of our own culture that illustrate the topics in the book--and do it in a very surprising way.

His goal in writing the book is to use other cultures to make us much more aware of our own. He accomplishes this very well. Lots of thought-provoking material.

I teach cultural anthropology to undergraduates. I have seen a lot of textbooks on this subject. Bohannan's text is different from all the others. In my opinion, the difference lies in the intent behind the writing. All the other authors intend to tell students about what anthropologists do and what anthropologists have learned. Bohannan intends to present questions and observations for students to ponder. The others present findings. His book presents the possibility for insight and personal growth - something everyone needs, regardless of whether they want to "be" an anthropologist. I would recommend this book not only to students of anthropology, but also to anyone who wants to explore what it means and can mean to be human.

This book is the most outdated piece of garbage out there. I was forced to purchase it for an Anthropology course at UMASS Boston, and has verified that education in this country is a joke. Written in 1992, about 18 years ago. A lot has happened since 1992, like I'm not 9 anymore and I'm 27. How could this book even be sold still.
There are racist, homophobic overtones, nothing is relevant, it is written from an ethnocentric view.
Seriously do not buy this pointless waste of money, waste of time, useless, outdated, irrelevant book.

If you have to, rent it and return it asap as to get it out of your possession so you won't become dumber, or at least so you don't fool yourself into thinking it is 1992 again.

I read this textbook as part of a university core class. The book is fairly well organized, and as a previous reviewer states it is refreshingly free of the "history of anthropology" approach most texts take. However, the material is heavily laced with Bohannan's opinions. While everyone has opinions, in the sciences (or science-like endeavors) one expects to hear at least lip service given to counterpoints. The text shows no balance at all...it is almost propaganda in support of one person's view of anthropology. The readability suffers from a self-conscious politically correct writing style.
I would retitle this book as "A Heavy Handed Anti-Ethnocentric/Gendercentric Primer." That seems to be more the point than cultural anthropology is.
The book is physically poorly printed. The print runs into the binding so much that you must break the binding to be able to read the last few characters. The pages are so busy with rather pointless illustrations as to be distracting. The illustrations are often more confusing than helpful.