An anthropologist compares three diverse societies in this groundbreaking, "unique and important" cultural study ( The New York Times).A remarkable introduction to cultural studies, Patterns of Culture made history in exploring the role of culture in shaping our lives. In it, the renowned anthropologist Ruth Benedict offers an in-depth look at three societies—the Zuñi of the southwestern United States, the Kwakiutl of western Canada, and the Dobua...

"One of the best books ever about Japanese society…[A] thoughtful, nuanced study of the Japanese character." —U.S. News & World Report"A classic of Japanese cultural studies…debunks the stereotype of the Japanese as hopelessly rigid and incapable of change." —The New York TimesFirst published in 1946, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword is renowned for its insights into Japanese culture—examining social structure, fam...

An Anthropologist at Work is the product of a long collaboration between Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead. Mead, who was Benedict's student, colleague, and eventually her biographer, here has collected the bulk of Ruth Benedict's writings. This includes letters between these two seminal anthropologists, correspondence with Franz Boas (Benedict's teacher), Edward Sapir's poems, and notes from studies that Benedict had collected throughout her life. Since Benedict wrote little, Mead has flesh...

The origin stories of the O’odham (Pima) Indians of Arizona are renowned for their beauty and complexity but have been collected in only a handful of books. This volume—the third full O’odham telling of ancientness to appear in print—brings together dozens of stories collected in 1927 by anthropologist Ruth Benedict during her only visit to the Pimas. Never before published, they helped inspire Benedict to write her groundbreaking book Patterns of Culture....

The issue of gender inequality in architecture has been part of the profession’s discourse for many years, yet the continuing gender imbalance in architectural education and practice remains a difficult subject. This book seeks to change that. It provides the first ever attempt to move the debate about gender in architecture beyond the tradition of gender-segregated diagnostic or critical discourse on the debate towards something more propositional, actionable and transformative. To do thi...

"One of the best books ever about Japanese society . . . [A] thoughtful, nuanced study of the Japanese character."— U.S. News & World Report"A classic book because of its intellectual and stylistic lucidity . . . Benedict was a writer of great humanity and generosity of spirit."—from the foreword by Ian BurumaEssential reading for anyone interested in Japanese culture, this unsurpassed masterwork opens an intriguing window on Japan. The World War I...

"One of the best books ever about Japanese society . . . [A] thoughtful, nuanced study of the Japanese character." —U.S. News & World ReportEssential for anyone interested in Japanese culture, this unsurpassed masterwork opens an intriguing window on Japan. The World War II-era study by the cultural anthropologist Ruth Benedict paints an illuminating contrast between the people of Japan and those of the United States. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword

In science, race can be a useful concept—for specific, limited purposes. When race, as a way of classifying people, is drafted into the service of politics, religion, or any belief system, then danger follows. That is the focus of this classic repudiation of racism, which is as readable and timely now as when it first appeared.Race: Science and Politics was first published in 1940, in response to the global rise of fascism and its pseudoscientific rationales for marginaliz...

This essential collection on maternal and child health focuses on the rites of giving birth from a cross-cultural perspective. The distinguished list of contributors describe the many customs surrounding birth through infancy, highlighting a wide range of variation in practices across cultures. They discuss attitudes and techniques in childbirth, the interaction between human evolutionary form and birthing procedures, the influence of societal factors that differentiate Western from non-We...

The Gift brilliantly argues for the importance of creativity in our increasingly money-driven society. Reaching deep into literature, anthropology and psychology for striking examples, the heart of Lewis Hyde's modern masterpiece is the simple and important idea that a 'gift' can inspire and change our lives, art and culture.Lewis Hyde has been championed by some of the greatest artists of our time. He addresses the questions we face every day in our public and private liv...

Reverence for Life—Albert Schweitzer's pivotal philosophyMusician, physician, humanitarian, and philosopher, Albert Schweitzer was a twentieth-century Renaissance man who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his "Reverence for Life" philosophy. The Wisdom of Albert Schweitzer explores this core philosophy, which inspired one of the world's great humanitarians.While traveling in Africa, Schweitzer recognized that all living creatures have a will to live an...

An extraordinary compilation of legends and rituals about nature's ever-present signs. From the birds that soar above us to the insects beneath our feet, Native American healer Bobby Lake-Thom shows how the creatures of the earth can aid us in healing and self-knowledge.“There are ancient secrets and lessons hidden in nature. If you seek for guidance, you will discover truth.”—Bobby Lake-ThomMuch of the ancient knowledge that has been passed down f...