"America's most renowned cultural anthropologist . . . analyses the literary forms of several anthropological notables - Bronislaw Malinowski, Ruth Benedict, Claude Levi-Strauss, E. E. Evans-Pritchard, and others . . . The appreciation of Geertz's brilliant writing is much like the appreciation of a brilliant metaphor." New York Times Book Review . "The racy colloquialisms, the quick-fire prose, sharp glancing allusions, aphorism and tropes of `Works and Lives' force the reader on at such a brisk pace that, for some, reading it may seem like watching a speeded-up sequence of an old film . . . Those who can be expected to take this book in their stride will find it a lively and original critical comparison of the work of four remarkable anthropologists." Times Literary Supplement . "Geertz is a brilliant writer - obviously, he is also a brilliant thinker - endlessly witty and quotable." Boston Globe .

• 1. Being There: Anthropology and the Scene of Writing 2. The World in a Text: How to Read `Tristes Tropiques' 3. Slide Show: Evans-Pritchard's African Transparencies 4. I-Witnessing: Malinowski's Children 5. Us/Not-Us: Benedict's Travels 6. Being Here: Whose Life Is It Anyway?I ndex students and academics in anthropology, sociology, history, literature.

"America's most renowned cultural anthropologist . . . analyses the literary forms of several anthropological notables - Bronislaw Malinowski, Ruth Benedict, Claude Levi-Strauss, E. E. Evans-Pritchard, and others . . . The appreciation of Geertz's brilliant writing is much like the appreciation of a brilliant metaphor." New York Times Book Review . "The racy colloquialisms, the quick-fire prose, sharp glancing allusions, aphorism and tropes of `Works and Lives' force the reader on at such a brisk pace that, for some, reading it may seem like watching a speeded-up sequence of an old film . . . Those who can be expected to take this book in their stride will find it a lively and original critical comparison of the work of four remarkable anthropologists." Times Literary Supplement . "Geertz is a brilliant writer - obviously, he is also a brilliant thinker - endlessly witty and quotable." Boston Globe .

• 1. Being There: Anthropology and the Scene of Writing 2. The World in a Text: How to Read `Tristes Tropiques' 3. Slide Show: Evans-Pritchard's African Transparencies 4. I-Witnessing: Malinowski's Children 5. Us/Not-Us: Benedict's Travels 6. Being Here: Whose Life Is It Anyway?I ndex students and academics in anthropology, sociology, history, literature.