Indiana University Press (Bloomington)
David Graeber
6 December 2007
book listing
An epic account of the power of memory in Madagascar
"[O]ffers fascinating comparative material with other places where the wound of past injustices continues to fester and destroy. . . . [A] brilliant weaving together of history and the anthropology of participant observation. . . . The style is limpid, funny, and a delight." —Maurice Bloch
"The political intrigue makes for a compelling narrative. Committed to showing the power of stories, Graeber is very capable of telling a story of his own. . . . a brilliant study in the classic anthropological tradition. . . ." —Michael Lambek
Betafo, a rural community in central Madagascar, is divided between the descendants of nobles and descendants of slaves. Anthropologist David Graeber arrived for fieldwork at the height of tensions attributed to a disastrous communal ordeal two years earlier. As Graeber uncovers the layers of historical, social, and cultural knowledge required to understand this event, he elaborates a new view of power, inequality, and the political role of narrative. Combining theoretical subtlety, a compelling narrative line, and vividly drawn characters, Lost People is a singular contribution to the anthropology of politics and the literature on ethnographic writing.
David Graeber, author of Toward an Anthropological Theory of Value: The False Coin of Our Own Dreams, is Lecturer in Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London and a regular contributor to The Nation and other publications.
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