Claude Levi-Strauss / Edition 2

by Edmund Leach

Overview

In this lucide guide to the often abstruse works of Claude Lévi-Strauss, Edmund Leach synthesizes the thought of one of the twentieth century's greatest anthropologists and provides a thoughtful introduction to the theory and practice of structuralism. Leach organizes his work not by chronology but by theme, exploring three important topics in Lévi-Strauss's work: human beings and their symbols, the structure of myth, and kinship theory. Written concisely and with great care and penetration, this brief book is both a fine introduction for the uninitiated reader of Lévi-Strauss and a critical analysis that will prove valuable to those more familiar with the anthropologist's work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780226469683
Publisher:	University of Chicago Press
Publication date:	10/15/1989
Series:	Modern Masters Series
Edition description:	1
Pages:	153
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Edmund Leach (1910-1989) was professor of social anthropology at Cambridge University and the author of numerous books, including Rethinking Anthropology and Culture and Communication.

Table of Contents

Biographical Note
i. The Man Himself
ii. Oysters, Smoked Salmon, and Stilton Cheese
iii. The Human Animal and His Symbols
iv. The Structure of Myth
v. Words and Things
vi. The Elementary Structures of Kinship
vii. Machines for the Suppression of Time
Short Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

**** Reprint of the original (1970) Viking Press edition which is cited in BCL3. Leach synthesized the thought of the great anthropologist and provided a thoughtful introduction to the theory and practice of structuralism. Organized by theme, not chronology. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews