Natural Symbols: Explorations in Cosmology

Natural Symbols: Explorations in Cosmology by Douglas, Mary. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780394711058.

In her examination of the ways in which we symbolize the structure of society in our attitudes toward the human body, anthropologist Mary Douglas strips away the surface of political, ecological and cultural differences between peoples to reveal the surprising similarities between disparate social groups. Using a wealth of examples ranging from Persian nomads to London Irishmen, from West African tribesmen to modern-day intellectuals and bohemians, this is a provocative, intellectually bracing account of society's role in shaping what seem to be our most inviolate attitudes.