As a general background, the first two chapters of the book discuss characteristics of Malay rural society, especially in the coastal area, in Kelantan; the main features of Malay marine fishing; and the particular situation of the fisheries in Kelantan and Trengganu. The body of the book then deals with what is in effect an historical case study in economic anthropology, a community of peasant fishermen analyzed in detail. Finally, Professor Firth gives an account on a comparative basis of recent developments in the same community, to bring out some of the underlying social and economic forces that have been at work during the past generation.
