Culture Sketches: Case Studies in Anthropology

The book Cultural Sketches: Case Studies in Antropology was in near perfect condition just as the review said; Superior job.

Like some of the other reviewers, I had to purchase this for my Cultural Anthropology class. I should mention that I only chose Anthropology to fulfill a social science requirement and thus am not all that intersted in it. So while it's not as long as my other textbooks, I was still dreading having to read it. I was pleased to find my fears were unfounded. There are a bunch of sketches in this book, each around 20 pages or so. Each sketch is about a different group of people in different areas of the world. I chose which sketches to read by looking at a map located in the front, which showed you where each group is situated. I wish I could say that all of these gave me a greater understanding and appreciation of other cultures, but that wouldn't be true. While maybe I now know facts about these groups of people I did not know before, I don't necessarily understand them. As a 23 year old woman from the US, I found it very difficult to read about societies where young females were betrothed before birth to men decades older than them- as was done in some cultures. Though these sketches explained how and why this worked for these cultures, I still wasn't buying it. Not all the sketches are about groups that do this, but some do tackle things that will make you question why these cultures acted or survived this way. But then again, perhaps that is the goal of the book, and of anthropology in general. In any case, as mentioned earlier- for the most part I enjoyed this, and would recommend it to those who enjoy anthropology.

I had to purchase this book for my cultural Anthropology course. Its not a bad book, in fact, it is actually quite enjoyable. Its definitely not one of those boring textbooks that choose to regurgitate facts. The organization of which the information is given about different cultures is very intuitive and great for anybody looking to learn a couple tidbits about our world and the cultures that live within it.

Even though I had to buy this book for an anthropology class for college, I absolutely love it. Every bit of information is both colorful and interesting. There are some things you wouldn't even guess were out there, but they are, and the people talked about in this book are extraordinary to learn about. Even just for reading because of interest in different cultures around the world, I would recommend this book to anyone. It was great.

Peters-Golden's Culture Sketches is a must have for any student of anthropology or anyone interested in the basics of anthropology. Each chapter reviews and details a particular culture/society and explains the particular culture in an academic and laymans way. In other terms, the book is easy to understand even if you do not know a thing about anthropology and it provides useful information for students and academics alike about 13 societies that exist or have existed on this planet. These are not detailed ethnographies, i.e. they do not explain every thing about the society. Peters-Golden gives a taste of each society and encourages to further explore the societies that interest the reader. If you are a student looking for an insight on what anthropologists study (such as economic systems, religion, rituals, beliefs in magic and mystics, marriage rites, rites of passage, etc) or anyone else who is curious about the other societies on this planet, this book is for you.