John T Omohundro

This is a very approachable text that describes the fundamentals of cultural anthropology in a way that encourages the reader to apply those fundamental questions to their everyday life, as a new way of investigating their world. Personal antecdotes and interesting references, both exotic and domestic, native and modern, demonstrate the points made in a memorable way. The exercises are creative and fun.

Interestingly, the author was the student of Conrad Phillip Kottak, whose text Mirror for Humanity I also have and enjoyed. (Mirror was not organized in this way at all; different teaching philosophy.)

I love this quote, which opens the book:

Once you learn to discern the voice of Mother Culture humming in the background, telling her story over and over again to the people of your culture, you'll never stop being conscious of it. Wherever you go for the rest of your life, you'll be tempted to say to the people around you, "How can you listen to this stuff and not reconize it for what it is?" And if you do this, people will look at you oddly and wonder what the devil you're talking about.
--- Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn, p. 37.… (mehr)