The excavation and reconstruction of Maussian meanings proves richly gratifying to the intellectual archaeologist." - American Anthropologist

"Many of the items in this book are thought-provoking ... One of its strengths is the insights it frequently gives into the divergences between Mauss's and Durkheim's thought." - Anthropological Theory

"This is an important book ... by paying attention to the cultural construction of violence across time we can hope to be better able to explain the complex social dynamics that give rise to the actual use of violence." - Anthropological Theory...