First published in 1979, Revolt Against the Dead describes the changing lifestyle of the Aguacatec Indians, a Mayan peasant people of the northwestern highlands of Guatemala. The author presents the societal transformation from an economic, social, political, and religious perspective.

The book explores both internal and external factors responsible for bringing about the change in the Aguacatan community. It emphasizes the interplay between changing local conditions and outside influences. As many factors that occurred at different times were responsible for the transformation, most of the book is organized into a kind of history. The local events are therefore presented as three major epochs—traditional Aguacatan; a transitional period of collapse; and the contemporary, new order. This volume will be of interest to students and researchers of anthropology and history.