Marvin Harris
Marvin Harris was an American anthropologist known for his work in cultural materialism. He made significant contributions to the understanding of cultural practices and their relationship to economic and environmental factors.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. Cows, Pigs, Wars And Witches: The Riddels Of Culture
The Riddles of Culture
This thought-provoking exploration delves into the seemingly irrational aspects of human culture, offering a compelling analysis of how economic and environmental factors shape societal norms and practices. By examining various cultural phenomena, such as the sacred status of cows in India, the taboo against pork in the Middle East, the origins of warfare, and the persecution of witches in Europe, the book argues that these cultural riddles are not random but rather adaptive responses to specific ecological and social conditions. Through a materialist lens, it challenges readers to reconsider the underlying reasons behind cultural traditions and beliefs, revealing the intricate interplay between human behavior and the environment.
The 16513th Greatest Book of All Time -
2. Antropología Cultural
An accessible introduction to the comparative study of human cultures, presenting key concepts, methods, and debates in anthropology with an emphasis on materialist explanations of cultural patterns. Drawing on ethnographic case studies, it examines how ecological and economic forces interact with symbols and beliefs to shape kinship, language, religion, politics, and exchange. Emphasizing the emic/etic distinction and a scientific approach, it shows how systematic analysis can account for cultural diversity and cultural change.
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3. Why Nothing Works
The Anthropology of Daily Life
An accessible anthropological critique of everyday life that explains why so many products, services, and institutions seem to fail or frustrate. It traces shoddy quality, planned obsolescence, convoluted packaging, and bureaucratic hassles to deeper material forces—mass production, energy costs, profit pressures, and status competition—showing how these structural dynamics reshape tastes, behaviors, and expectations across modern society.
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