First published in 1963, this volume is a compilation of numerous essays by Douglas on the Lele in the Belgian Congo covering a fifteen year period.

Purity and Danger, acknowledged as a modern masterpiece of anthropology, is widely cited in non-anthropological works and gave rise to a body of application, rebuttal and development within anthropology. In 1995 the book was included among the Times Literary Supplement's 100 most influential non-fiction works since WWII. Incorporating the philosophy of religion and science and a generally holistic approach to classification, Douglas demonstrates the relevance of anthropological enquiries to an audience outside her immediate academic circle. She offers an approach to understanding rules of...

First published in 1980, this book provides an overview of E.E. Evans-Pritchard's approach to anthropology. His seminal works on the Azande and the Nuer had an immense impact on the field in Britain. He wrote these works in his 30s and 40s after which time he became chair of anthropology at Oxford. His pupils and colleagues from his days as the head of Institute of Social Anthropology went from Oxford to complete the institutional establishment of social anthropology. In this book Douglas links the development of her own theories to her training under Evans-Pritchard at the institute and to...

First published in 1982, this title is based on her meetings with friends in which they attempt to apply the grid/group analysis from Natural Symbols. The essays have been important texts for preparing grid/group exercises ever since. She is still trying to improve the argument of Natural Symbols and is always hoping to find better applications to illustrate the power of the two dimensions used for accurate comparison.

First published in 1984, this work is a cross-cultural study of the moral and social meaning of food. It is a collection of articles by Douglas and her colleagues covering the food system of the Oglala Sioux, the food habits of families in rural North Carolina, and meal formats in an Italian-American community near Philadelphia. It also includes a grid/group analysis of food consumption.

First published in 1987, " Constructive Drinking" studies the functions drinking plays within society. A series of original case studies deal with a variety of exotic - not just alcohol - from a variety of cultural and geographical contexts.

First published in 1985, Mary Douglas intended "Risk and Acceptability "as a review of the existing literature on the state of risk theory, she instead uses the book to argue risk analysis from an anthropological perspective.