Customer Reviews

Yanomami: The Fierce Controversy and What We Can Learn from It (California Series in Public Anthropology)

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In 2000 a controversy exploded around numerous, diverse, and very serious allegations about violations of professional ethics and abuses of human rights made in a book by investigative journalist Patrick Tierney, Darkness in El Dorado: How Scientists and Journalists Devastated the Amazon. The present book edited by Dr. Robert Borofsky critically examines the fallout from Tierney's book. This second book is by far the most thorough, penetrating, balanced, and fair assessment of the controversy which is easily the ugliest scandal in the entire history of anthropology. The editor, and all of the six authors who contribute to a series of round table discussions and debates, are to be commended for their constructive approach to this controversy, unlike a few others elsewhere who persist in spreading as smoke screens misinformation, disinformation, and, just plain lies, even in various scientific journals, books, and organizations. Borofsky most perceptively and skillfully provides the broader background, context, implications, and ramifications regarding the controversy, including the AAA Task Force on Darkness in El Dorado and other reactions. Numerous very attractive and meaningful pedagogical devices are included so that the book can be most useful in many different courses on a wide range of topics. As promised on the back cover and elsewhere in the book, "All of the royalties from this book will be donated to helping the Yanomami improve their health care." This is an unprecedented, historic, and revolutionary book which may well contribute to some serious soul searching in anthropology and stimulate some positive transformations in the profession. This book should be read by every instructor and student in anthropology. For more background see http://www.publicanthropology.org.

Dr. Leslie E. Sponsel, Professor, Anthropology, University of Hawai`i