Amazon Town

Charles Wagley (1913-1991) was an American anthropologist specializing in rural Latin America. Richard Pace, a Professor of Anthropology at Middle Tennessee State University, studied with Wagley at Florida. Conrad Kottak is the Julian H. Steward Collegiate Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Michigan and Chair of Section 51, Anthropology at the National Academy of Sciences.

"I very much appreciate Wagley's masterful, ethnographic treatment of his subject matter. He writes engrossing prose and conveys a wealth of information to the reader in the process...I value what he accomplished within the parameters of Anthropology in his own era of research. I also like the fact that he was willing to tackle the difficult issues of development and to open areas of further research, which concern quality of life in relation to technologicalchange...I would recommend Amazon Town to colleagues as occupying an important place in the anthropological literature on Brazil, and as useful in more than one course..." Leslie Straub, ProvidenceCollege"Wagley's text is a classic ethnography written from a humanistic perspective, as he himself states in the preface. As such, Wagley successfully links much of what he describes in Gurupá to broader practices in Brazil, Latin America, rural environments, and, indeed, the human condition. Thick with description and detail, he deftly weaves the particular into the whole and back again. Of special note is the clarity and directness of his writing style."Rosana Resende, University of Florida"This book is a fundamental reading for any course on the Amazon and its people...It gives remarkable understanding of people and environment in the Amazon. Few people can write as clearly and brilliantly as Wagley. It is like reading a novel, but rich in data and understanding...I have always sent everyone to this book first when they show interest in the Amazon." Emilio Moran, Michigan State University

• Foreword by Conrad Kottak ; Preface to the 2013 Edition ; Preface to the 1976 Edition ; Preface ; Chapter ; I. The Problem of Humanity in the Tropics ; II. An Amazon Community ; III. Making a Living in the Tropics ; IV. Social Relations in an Amazon Community ; V. Family Affairs in an Amazon Community ; VI. People Also Play ; VII. From Magic to Science ; VIII. A Community in an Underdeveloped Area: The Struggle for Liberation and Sustainable Development ; References ; Index