Author Description

Paul Baker, a physical anthropologist of international repute, spent ten years examining the effects of acculturation on the Samoans, one of the largest single Polynesian ethnic groups to finally succumb to westernization. This timely and important work interprets his findings from the points of view of physical and biological anthropology, covering relevant aspects of demography, sociology, physiology, growth, nutrition, work, health, and behavior. Together the contributors bring to bear a unique approach to this much-publicized population; their work is a landmark in populations and of reactions to the stresses of modern development.