A Faraway; Familiar Place

For readers seeking an excursion deep into little-known terrain but allergic to the wide-eyed superficiality of ordinary travel literature. Author Michael French Smith savors the sometimes gritty romance of his travels to an island village far from roads; electricity; telephone service; and the Internet; but puts to rest the cliche of ''Stone Age'' Papua New Guinea. He also gives the lie to stereotypes of anthropologists as either machete-wielding swashbucklers or detached observers turning real people into abstractions. Smith uses his anthropological expertise subtly; to illuminate Papua New Guinean lives; to nudge readers to look more closely at ideas they take for granted; and to take a wry look at his own experiences as an anthropologist. Buy now the item at ONLY: 51.95