Ancestral Lines

Barker's book is beautifully organized, clearly written, and each chapter fits snugly within the confines of a basic topic included on all introductory syllabi. Moreover, unlike many ethnographies written specifically for undergraduates, this is a text that will neither talk down to nor bore students. Barker's finely observed discussions of such topics as reciprocity, kinship, and sorcery not only cover the major lines of argument surrounding them, but also add new ideas. -- Joel Robbins, Oxford University Ancestral Lines seems to get better each time I use it: it is that rare book that engages first-year students while providing the insight and intellectual depth upper-level courses require. -- Dan Jorgensen, Western University

This compelling ethnography offers a nuanced case study of the ways in which the Maisin of Papua New Guinea navigate pressing economic and environmental issues. Beautifully written and accessible to most readers, Ancestral Lines is designed with introductory cultural anthropology courses in mind.

This compelling ethnography offers a nuanced case study of the ways in which the Maisin of Papua New Guinea navigate pressing economic and environmental issues. Beautifully written and accessible to most readers, Ancestral Lines is designed with introductory cultural anthropology courses in mind. Barker has organized the book into chapters that mirror many of the major topics covered in introductory cultural anthropology, such as kinship, economic pursuit, social arrangements, gender relations, religion, politics, and the environment. The second edition has been revised throughout, with a new timeline of events and a final chapter that brings readers up to date on important events since 2002, including a devastating cyclone and a major court victory against the forestry industry.