Author Description

Now considered a classic, this informal, humanistic, and very readable account of the aboriginal Tapirape Indians who live in the Amazonian basin enlarges our knowledge of the diversity of life in an increasingly homogenized world. Wagley's story of the people of this small community who have developed unique and imaginative methods for coping with universal problems (e.g., human reproduction; understanding the real and imaginary forces of the universe; human well-being) raises questions about Western economic expansionism and anthropological responsibility to Third World peoples.