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Majorie Shostak

Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman Paperback – Unabridged, January 1, 1983

by Marjorie Shostak (Author)

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As told to anthropologist Marjorie Shostak, this life history of a woman of a hunting-gathering people of South Africa's Kalahari Desert reveals a person of wisdom, humor, courage, practicality, romantic yearnings, sorrow, and dignity

Print length

402 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Vintage
Publication date

January 1, 1983
Dimensions

5.25 x 1 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

0394711262
ISBN-13

978-0394711263
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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"An unparalleled account of !Kung life [and] a revelation of the universality of women's experiences and feelings....Nisa helps us know what it means to be !Kung, to be a woman, and finally, to be human."--Choice

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; First Vintage Books Edition (January 1, 1983)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 402 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394711262
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394711263
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 1 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,865,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8,469 in Cultural Anthropology (Books)
- #72,715 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- #95,468 in Social Sciences (Books)

Customer Reviews:
191 ratings

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Majorie Shostak

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Customer reviews

5 star		73%
4 star		11%
3 star		11%
2 star		2%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Kristen

One of my all-time favorite ethnographies and an absolute stable in anthropology

Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2017

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I love, love, love this book. I initially read it for a college class in anthropology, but after reading many other ethonographies and ultimately getting my degree in anthropology, Nisa remains one of my all-time favorites. Nisa is a classic in the field, written by Marjorie Shostak of her field work in the 60's and 70's on of !Kung people in Souther Africa through the narrations of one !Kung woman, Nisa. The !Kung are significant in anthropology because they are one of the few peoples in the world that maintain a modern hunter-gatherer lifestyle (at least at the time of Shostak's fieldwork). Thus, they represent a lifestyle that human beings have lived for thousands of years dating back to the earliest hunter-gatherers. It's how we lived for the majority of our evolutionary time, and thus modern hunter-gatherers shed precious light on humanity's origins. Unlike most ethnographies and most social science texts more broadly, Nisa is primarily informed by one voice: Nisa's. The book consists of interviews conducted over time between Shostak and Nisa with the purpose of Nisa bestowing her own knowledge upon Shostak as a younger woman about what it means to be a woman. Each chapter chronicles a period of Nisa's life, which she tells to illustrate not only her own stories by central truths and life lessons. Of course, these are all according to one person, an older woman with a lifetime of lived experience through the lens of her own culture. Topics include growing up, marriage, taking lovers, being a mother, and losing those closest to you. Shostak begins the book with a long introduction describing the !Kung people and putting their culture into context for Western readers, including the !Kung language, traditions, family structures, group dynamics, migration, diet, etc. Then each chapter begins with an introduction to the topic based on Shostak's fieldwork with the whole community followed by Nisa's individual stories and insights. Overall, Nisa is an enigmatic, funny, unique, talented, and captivating storyteller selected by Shostak as narrator for these very reasons. This book is a treasure, and is certain to teach readers much about human truths according to one incredible woman. It's a must-read for anyone interested in womanhood, culture, modern hunter-gatherer societies, African peoples, anthropology, and human kind.

9 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Even better than expected

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2021

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It came exactly as described and looks pretty much new. I needed this for a college course so it was a great cheap option and works perfectly

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zebesta

sociology, cultural, history, anthropology

Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2020

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Love this book. Where else could you get a narrative from a culture that is prehistoric and in the matter of a couple of decades heads into the 20th century, not to mention a woman who bares her soul. Nisa crosses all cultural and time barriers and most woman will recognize themselves in her.

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Downfall2448

Interesting Ethnography

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2012

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Purchased this book for an anthropology class. It was one of the better books that I've read this last quarter, if not my career as a student. On the other hand, if you are not interested in different cultures, there is nothing wrong with that, then you will not like this book. It is best to read this book with an open mind and try your best not to be ethnocentric. Meaning that certain topics of the book are taboo in our culture, but it is accepted in their culture. According to this book, the !Kung from Botswana live a very interesting and different [to our own] lives. Majorie Shostak did a great job writing this ethnography, and really capturing the voice of "Nisa". Recommended for the person who likes traveling to learn and understand culture.

3 people found this helpful

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Patricia Kranish

Nisa Talks and Still Keeps Her Secrets

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2011

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Nisa talks a great deal, but somehow the inner life of the !Kung is never revealed. A trance state is referred to throughout the book, but what does it feel like when one is "trancing"? One dies and goes to some indeterminate place "up there"? I realize it is impossible for a European to live like a !Kung among the !Kung because of the wide economic disparities and the tradition of gift exchange (among the many problems the author acknowledges right from the start of the book) but a deeper look into their interior life would have been welcomed.
Despite Nisa's stilted language, which may be the fault of the translator, there is much to learn here.

One person found this helpful

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Zubaida Mou

Highly satisfied

Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2021

Highly satisfied

people should forget the bible and read this book

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2013

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i loved 'nisa'. i've read a lot of books in my life - in four different languages, all kinds of topics, in recent years mostly scientific ones. with this i mean to say, it was not easy for 'nisa' to break into top five of all the books for me.
but it happened.
'nisa' changes the way you feel like a women: about men, about raising childrean, about life in general.
'nisa' puts things in a different perspective. in the perspective in which we have spent 99% of our time on earth, so i think it is OK if i call it 'right perspective'. thank you marjorie shostak, i am sad that you died, but hope your book and your scientific papers will live forever.

3 people found this helpful

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Latisha Johnson

Great read

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2019

Verified Purchase

Very informative

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Top reviews from other countries

Gordon Toumaniantz

then she's a wonderful human being

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2014

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We'll never know if the words and meanings are really those of Nisa. If, yes, then she's a wonderful human being, and with perhaps the last of the hunter-gatherer tribes. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

One person found this helpful

anon

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2014

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not finished it yet - but very interesting so far.

Anna Cataldi

very very interesting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 30, 2018

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a wanderful very interesting book

Brad Cassidy

Clear and thought provoking.

Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2021

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Shostak provides good solid information on the culture of the !Kung which is very useful background, especially were one new to this people. However, the real gem in this work are the thoughts and words of Nisa. With clarity and unselfconscious authenticity Nisa paints a portrait of her life and her people. Not only does the reader learn of their ways and world-view, but the reader is also drawn to question their own biases and judgements. An extremely worthwhile read for anyone who would understand the human condition better.

Paige Lucas

Textbook

Reviewed in Canada on September 14, 2020

Verified Purchase

Bought as a textbook for class, was great! Came right away

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