|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
|
Product Description
From Library Journal
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
This remarkable book introduces us to four unforgettable Apache people, each of whom offers a different take on the significance of places in their culture. Apache conceptions of wisdom, manners and morals, and of their own history are inextricably intertwined with place, and by allowing us to overhear his conversations with Apaches on these subjects Basso expands our awareness of what place can mean to people.
Most of us use the term sense of place often and rather carelessly when we think of nature or home or literature. Our senses of place, however, come not only from our individual experiences but also from our cultures. Wisdom Sits in Places, the first sustained study of places and place-names by an anthropologist, explores place, places, and what they mean to a particular group of people, the Western Apache in Arizona. For more than thirty years, Keith Basso has been doing fieldwork among the Western Apache, and now he shares with us what he has learned of Apache place-names--where they come from and what they mean to Apaches.
"This is indeed a brilliant exposition of landscape and language in the world of the Western Apache. But it is more than that. Keith Basso gives us to understand something about the sacred and indivisible nature of words and place. And this is a universal equation, a balance in the universe. Place may be the first of all concepts; it may be the oldest of all words."--N. Scott Momaday
"In Wisdom Sits in Places Keith Basso lifts a veil on the most elemental poetry of human experience, which is the naming of the world. In so doing he invests his scholarship with that rarest of scholarly qualities: a sense of spiritual exploration. Through his clear eyes we glimpse the spirit of a remarkable people and their land, and when we look away, we see our own world afresh."--William deBuys
"A very exciting book--authoritative, fully informed, extremely thoughtful, and also engagingly written and a joy to read. Guiding us vividly among the landscapes and related story-tellings of the Western Apache, Basso explores in a highly readable way the role of language in the complex but compelling theme of a people's attachment to place. An important book by an eminent scholar."--Alvin M. Josephy, Jr.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Some Great Observations, but poorly written,
This review is from: Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and Language Among the Western Apache (Paperback)
The writer makes some very interesting observations, and introduces a very interesting culture unknown to me with some success. The book is remarkably void of any recognition of the writer's own perceptive limitations based on the same concept of situated knowledge he uses to critique other scientists. Each chapter begins with a quote from a famous philosopher or one of the writer's teachers as a way to enter the presumably Western reader into the world of the Western Apache. These transitions are clumsy at best, and arguably totally ineffective. Typically, the writer's interpretation of these quotes is dubious.The writer claims to intend the book for lay people, but then proceeds to use so many difficult words, sometimes inaccurately, that the reader is left feeling isolated and pushed away. I know several people who experienced this difficulty. Worst, many of the "complicated" ideas about self, and being, etc. are really much better and clearly articulated in a straightforward and simple manner rather than the verbose and affected writing style of a pseudo intellectual. Perhaps Mr. Basso is a very accomplished man, I do not know, but I found his writing style pretentious and unnecessarily complicated. That said, Mr. Basso does makes some very powerful observations about the tribe he studies. It is a shame that these observations are cluttered by the studied and overly intellectualized writing style, and his strange penchant to insert himself into his narrative including telling the reader that a particular Indian woman was "proud" or "handsome", and a particular man "was a good friend." What do we care? What does it add to the story? In fact, the writer's insertion into the narrative is distracting and opens Mr. Basso up to obvious personal criticism. In short, this book should have been merely an extraordinary essay without the verbosity and lofty words, without the trite philosophy lessons, and without the personal observations. Finally, there are too many occasions that the Mr. Basso looks at the culture without a critical eye, or even an objective eye, and he falls into romanticizing and over-identification which are both off-putting and lead me to believe he is more of an advocate rather than a scientist. Further calling his objectivity, or as he might suggest, his subjective objectivity into question, Mr. Basso reveals that he provided analysis for the tribe in a legal dispute on behalf of the tribe.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Places and Stories,
By grasshopper4 (Arkansas) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and Language Among the Western Apache (Paperback)
Basso's writing is extraordinary. This great book consists of engaging articles that merge linguistics with cultural anthropology in an approach called the "ethnography of speaking." Placing this jargon aside, the approach is to demonstrate how Apaches use names, stories, and other ways of speaking to create and maintain their culture. Basso's work provides deep insight into Apache life, and it also serves as a model for ways to understand how language plays an important role in everyday life.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Most enjoyable ethographic study.,
This review is from: Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and Language Among the Western Apache (Hardcover)
Basso explores and explains how the land is an intergral part of the Native American Apache existence. How the Apache views geography very differently from our western ideas of maps because not only do places have functions they also have morals. These morals comes of the situation that happenned at the specific location. It is a fascinating look at a part of Anthropolgy that is seldom explored. Easy to read, with wonderful personal stories of how the people interact with their land. Although the concepts tackled maybe unfamiliar the way it is written makes is so simple to understand. Outside it being great book acedemically, the lessons and morals in the book touches one's soul. You learn about life as you learn about these people. Yet it never falls into the trap of new ageness. It stands strongly as a study I must stress. This is the most enjoyable ethnograpy I have ever read for my BA. Unlike many other books, I kept this one for myself to dip into on a rainly day. Which is a testment on how good writing encourages learning. Should be on the reading list of every anthrpology student, as well as people interested in Native American people and alternative way of seeing the world.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > History > Americas > United States
- Books > History > United States
- Books > New & Used Textbooks > Humanities > Foreign Languages
- Books > New & Used Textbooks > Social Sciences
- Books > Nonfiction > Education > Language Instruction > Instruction > Native American
- Books > Nonfiction > Education > Reference > Words & Language > Etymology
- Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Special Groups > Native American Studies
- Books > Outdoors & Nature > Ecology
- Books > Outdoors & Nature > Reference
- Books > Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 > Education
- Books > Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 > Humanities
- Books > Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 > Science
- Books > Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 > Social Sciences
- Books > Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Native American
- Books > Reference > Words & Language > Etymology
- Books > Science > Nature & Ecology
- Books > Travel > North America
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
|
