What "Guns, Germs, and Steel" did for colonial history, this book will do for modern anthropology, telling the explosive story of how ruthless journalists, self-serving anthropologists, and obsessed scientists placed the Yanomami, one of the Amazon basin's oldest tribes, on the cusp of extinction. A "New York Times" Notable Book. of photos.

Yanomami raises questions central to the field of anthropology - questions concerning the practice of fieldwork, the production of knowledge, and anthropology's intellectual and ethical vision of itself. Using the Yanomami controversy - one of anthropology's most famous and explosive imbroglios - as its starting point, this books considers how fieldwork is done, how professional credibility and integrity are maintained, and how the discipline might change to address central theoretical and methodological problems. Both the most up-to-date and thorough public discussion of the Yanomami controve.

The acclaimed author of Conquistador and Labyrinth of Ice charts one of history’s greatest expeditions, a legendary 16th-century adventurer’s death-defying navigation of the Amazon River. In 1541, Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro and his lieutenant Francisco Orellana searched for La Canela, South America’s rumored Land of Cinnamon, and the fabled El Dorado, “the golden man.” Quickly, the enormous expedition of mercenaries, enslaved natives, horses, and hunting dogs were decimated through disease, starvation, and attacks in the jungle. Hopelessly lost in the swampy labyrinth, Pizarro and Orellana made the fateful decision to separate. While Pizarro eventually returned home in rags, Orellana and fifty-seven men continued into the unknown reaches of the mighty Amazon jungle and river. Theirs would be the greater glory. Interweaving historical accounts with newly uncovered details, Levy reconstructs Orellana’s journey as the first European to navigate the world’s largest river. Every twist and turn of the powerful Amazon holds new wonders and the risk of death. Levy gives a long-overdue account of the Amazon’s people—some offering sustenance and guidance, others hostile, subjecting the invaders to gauntlets of unremitting attacks and signs of terrifying rituals. Violent and beautiful, noble and tragic, River of Darkness is riveting history and breathtaking adventure that will sweep readers on a voyage unlike any other.

Biography.

The Yanomami and Kayapó, two indigenous groups of the Amazon rainforest, have become internationally known through their dramatic and highly publicized encounters with “civilization.” Both groups struggle to transcend internal divisions, preserve their traditional culture, and defend their land from depredation, while seeking to benefit from the outside world, yet their prospects for the future seem very different. Placing each group in its historical context, Linda Rabben examines the relationship of the Kayapó and Yanomami to Brazilian society and the wider world. She combines academic research with a wide variety of sources, including celebrated leaders Paulinho Payakan and Davi Kopenawa, to assess how each group has responded to outside incursions. This book is a substantially revised edition of Unnatural Selection: The Yanomami, the Kayapó, and the Onslaught of Civilization, originally published in 1998, and includes a new chapter examining the controversy for anthropologists studying the Yanomami following the publication of Patrick Tierney’s book Darkness in El Dorado. Another new chapter focuses on the resurgence of Northeastern indigenous groups previously thought extinct. The magnitude and significance of indigenous movements has increased greatly, and a new generation of Brazilian indigenous leaders, proficient in Portuguese, is participating in the national political arena. Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2005

Biological anthropologists face an array of ethical issues as they engage in fieldwork around the world. In this volume human biologists, geneticists, paleontologists, and primatologists confront their involvement with, and obligations to, their research subjects, their discipline, society, and the environment. Those working with human populations explore such issues as who speaks for a group, community consultation and group consent, the relationship between expatriate communities and the community of origin, and disclosing the identity of both individuals and communities. Those working with skeletal remains discuss issues that include access to and ownership of fossil material. Primatologists are concerned about the well-being of their subjects in laboratory and captive situations, and must address yet another set of issues regarding endangered animal populations and conservation in field situations. The first comprehensive account of the ethical issues facing biological anthropologists today, Biological Anthropology and Ethics opens the door for discussions of ethical issues in professional life.

Heart of Darkness is often considered the world’s best short novel. The book serves as a bridge between the 19th century and modernism, an adventure tale revolving around the ambiguity of themes such as truth, morality, and evil. Joseph Conrad witnessed the European exploitation of the Congo with his own eyes. He once sailed up the Congo River himself to locate a countryman at a trading station deep within the country – even though this man wasn't named Kurtz. The goal and enigma of the journey have become synonymous with this name, one of the most unforgettable fictional characters of our time. JOSEPH CONRAD [1857–1924] was born in Ukraine to Polish parents, went to sea at the age of seventeen, and ended his career as a captain in the English merchant navy. His most famous work is the novella Heart of Darkness [1899], adapted into a film by Francis Ford Coppola in 1979 as Apocalypse Now.