Brian Street's volume investigates the meanings and uses of literacy in different cultures and societies. These largely ethnographic essays bring together anthropological and linguistic work written over the past ten years by anthropologists and sociolinguists. Accounts of literacy practices vary from one context to another, and challenge the view that literacy is a single, uniform skill, essential to functioning in a modern society. The conclusions reached will be crucial for future researchers, and of interest to educators, developers and practitioners in the field.

Is war necessary? In Peace and War prominent anthropologists and other social scientists explore the cultural and social factors leading to war. They analyze the covert causes of war from a cross-cultural perspective: ideologies that dispose people to war; underlying patterns of social relationships that help institutionalize war; and the cultural systems of military establishments. Overt causes of war--environmental factors like the control of scarce resources, advantageous territories, and technologies, or promoting the wel­fare of people "like" oneself--are also considered. The authors examine anthropologists' role in policy formation--how their theories on the nature of culture and society help those who deal with global problems on a day-to-day basis. They argue that both covert and overt mechanisms are pushing the world closer to a devastating war and offer strategies to weaken the effects of these mechanisms. This anthropological and historical analysis of the causes of war is a valuable resource for those studying war and those trying to understand the place of social science in framing pacific options.

A loving guide to Irish weddings introduces readers the rich traditions surrounding marriage in Irish culture, covering vows, rituals, flowers, food, and spirits, among other topics. 35,000 first printing.

The Celts were a creative, mystical people, still revered today for their imaginative myth-making, brilliant designs, and profound sense of wonder and magic. This entry in the popular Inspirations series offers enticing summaries of key Celtic symbols, an introduction to the Celtic worldview, and enlightening short extracts from the great Celtic texts. Featuring 75 color photos and practical exercises that show readers how to apply ancient insights to their own lives, this elegant volume captures the spirit of the druids and storytellers in a series of poetic texts. The spiritual lessons cover such subjects as plant healing, spell casting, and traveling safely in the Otherworld, while a special section reveals the secrets of King Arthur's knights and the Holy Grail.

For the first time in book form, Brighid's Healing brings to life the wisdom and techniques of Irish traditional healing. The author has over 20 years experience and is widely acclaimed as a healer with vision, skills and the ability to revive the ancient arts of healing from the Celtic culture's wise and civilizing traditions from the deep past.

(Peeters 1986)

From marvellously illustrated pages leaps a rogues’ gallery of characters past and present who have, over the last 400 years, made this bohemian corner of London what it is.

Philosophy, art, literature, music and politics were all transformed in the turbulent period between the French Revolution of 1789 and the Communist Manifesto of 1848.