Claude Levi-Strauss - 2nd Edition by Edmund Leach (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In this lucide guide to the often abstruse works of Claude Lévi-Strauss, Edmund Leach synthesizes the thought of one of the twentieth century's greatest anthropologists and provides a thoughtful introduction to the theory and practice of structuralism. Leach organizes his work not by chronology but by theme, exploring three important topics in Lévi-Strauss's work: human beings and their symbols, the structure of myth, and kinship theory. Written concisely and with great care and penetration, this brief book is both a fine introduction for the uninitiated reader of Lévi-Strauss and a critical analysis that will prove valuable to those more familiar with the anthropologist's work.

From the Back Cover

In this lucid guide to the often abstruse works of Claude Levi-Strauss, Edmund Leach synthesizes the thought of one of the twentieth century's greatest anthropologists and provides a thoughtful introduction to the theory and practice of structuralism.

About the Author

Edmund Leach (1910-1989) was professor of social anthropology at Cambridge University and the author of numerous books, including Rethinking Anthropology and Culture and Communication.