The tao of anthropology /

According to editor Kelso, "the essays in this collection record an episode along the path of anthropology's history, an episode with no decisive beginning or ending." He wants this book to provide today's students with perspectives from anthropology's past with which they can explore the current trends in anthropology. Kelso believes that the diversity of its authors provides the book's strength. Generational differences naturally come into play with essays that cover decades. Six recurring themes thread through the essays: the four-field approach, or holism; relativism; the concept of culture; fieldwork; the anthropological perspective; and anthropology as a science. The 20 essays, written by senior anthropologists, are varied in style and content. Some are very easy to read, others drier. All of the essays were very interesting to this reviewer, who completed her master's in cultural anthropology almost 15 years ago. No discipline is static. It changes over time and research, ebbing and flowing, sometimes slowly, at other times rapidly. The various authors illustrate this with their writing. This book needs to be read by students or scholars with a strong background in anthropology. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. E. M. Burns Ohio State University