Culture & Truth: The Remaking of Social Analysis

I had to read this book for an anthropological theories course but it's the kind of book I can always come back to when I think anthropology is getting too full of itself. This book is very easy to read. Rosaldo uses a semi-conversational tone that makes the reader an accomplice of his studies. In true postmodernist form, his study of the head hunting ritual of the Philippino Ilongots takes on personal interpretations that are shaped by the loss of his wife. Trying to reconcile his personal loss with the controversial study of a murder ritual make for an important ethnographic approach that should be an essential read for anyone who observes cultures and tries to understand them within their personal terms.

I read this book as part of a cultural anthropology correspondence course through the University of California, Berkeley in 1997-98.The book contains many important ideas. For example, chapter three on imperialist nostalgia is a must-read for anybody who wants to understand the underpinnings of Western attitudes toward other cultures. Very eye-opening.There are other important ideas throughout the book. The tone of the book is scholarly and a bit labored. It took me more than a little discipline to finish the book. I don't fault Rosaldo for this; the blame goes to the editor. This book is important and needs a light to moderate developmental edit to make it accessible to its audience. Rosaldo has made a very important contribution to cross-cultural understanding.