"Unique and important . . . Patterns of Culture is a signpost on the road to a freer and more tolerant life." -- New York Times
A remarkable introduction to cultural studies, Patterns of Culture is an eloquent declaration of the role of culture in shaping human life. In this fascinating work, the renowned anthropologist Ruth Benedict compares three societies -- the Zuni of the southwestern United States, the Kwakiutl of western Canada, and the Dobuans of Melanesia -- and demonstrates the diversity of behaviors in them. Benedict's groundbreaking study shows that a unique configuration of...

Essential reading for anyone interested in Japanese culture, this unsurpassed masterwork opens an intriguing window on Japan. Benedict s World War IIera study paints an illuminating contrast between the culture of Japan and that of the United States. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword is a revealing look at how and why our cultures differ, making it the perfect introduction to Japanese history and customs."

Ruth Benedict (1887-1948), die neben Margaret Mead als die einflureichste Kulturanthropologin des 20. Jahrhunderts gilt, untersucht in dieser Studie die Persnlichkeit, die Denkmuster, das Wertesystem und die Handlungsnormen der Japaner. Sie versucht, die japanischen Prmissen ber die richtige Lebensfhrung aufzuzeigen und auf welche Weise diese sich in der Familie, in Wirtschaft, Religion und Politik manifestiert haben.

In science, race can be a useful concept - for specific, limited purposes. When race, as a way of classifying people, is drafted into the service of politics, religion, or any belief system, then danger follows. That is the focus of this classic repudiation of racism, which is as readable and timely now as when it first appeared.