The Innocent Anthropologist : Notes from a Mud Hut

This is an utterly hilarious account of an anthropologist going off into his first field assignment in Cameroon. He has a wittiness that reminds me, oddly enough, of the way that Hugh Grant's characters often poke fun at themselves in movies. It's totally British, totally honest, and utterly candid.I kept wanting to underline entire paragraphs, for going back and laughing at them again later. Here are a few of my favorites:"Young anthropologists know all about missionaries before they've met any. They plan a large role in the demonology of the subject, beside self-righteous administrators and exploitative colonials. The only intellectually respectable response to a tin rattled in one's face by someone collecting for missionary work is a reasoned refutation of the whole concept of missionary interference... Missions destroy traditional cultures and self-respect, reducing peoples all over the globe to the state of helpless, baffled morons living on charity and in economic and cultural thralldom to the West. The great dishonesty lies in exporting to the Third World systems of thought that the West itself has largely discarded." And then he goes on to describe how much he enjoyed his time with missionaries, and enjoyed shopping at their store. "To the jaded, ravenous fieldworker this (their store) was an Aladdin's cave of imported goodies at reduced prices."The book lagged a bit for me near the end, where he wrote about the actual practices of the people he was studying. Then it gets hilarious again when he describes his return home to England:"The anthropologist traveller... goes away for what seems an inordinately long period to other worlds, ponders cosmic problems, ages greatly. When he returns, on a few months have elapsed. The acorn he planted has not become a great tree; it has scarcely had time to put forth a tentative shoot... Only his closest friends have noticed he has been away at all... It is positively insulting how well the world functions without one. While the traveller has been away questioning his most basic assumptions, life has continued sweetly unruffled. Friends continue to collect matching French saucepans. The acacia at the foot of the lawn continues to come along nicely.""Being English seems as much a pose as being Dowayo. You find yourself discussing the things that seem important to your friends with the same detached seriousness that you used to discuss witchcraft with your villagers. The result of this lack of fit is a brooding sense of insecurity only heightened by the vast numbers of rushing white people you meet everywhere.""Anything concerned with shopping seems inordinately difficult. The sight of the shelves of a supermarket groaning with super-abunance of food induces either nauseous revulsion or helpless dithering. I would either go three times round the store and give up the attempt to decide, or buy vast quantities of the most luxurious goods and whimper with the terror that they would be snatched from me."Too perfect! I highly recommend this book to anyone who has found themselves living in a cross-cultural situation for an extended period of time. While the details might not match, the "feel" certainly will. And the wonderful self-deprecation of the author will keep you in stitches the whole way through.

I read this book when I was living in the bush of Kenya in the 90's and was constantly amazed at how I had many similar experiences. Life in rural Africa is VERY different than in Western countries. And like 'a fish out of water' a Westerner will have many strange interpretations of their surroundings. And the local people will make many strange interpretations of what you are doing.My wife and I would speak of Nigel Barley as if he was with us. It is fun, insightful, and respectful of they types of experiences one might have living and working with people from a very different culture.

It's a travel blog of sorts and one person's journey into another peoples culture. But, it also outlines the variety of hardships undertaken to commit to this or any other endeavor when you 'visit' a foreign land with a totally different perspective on life and the world they live in.

I still think about this book. It came in great shape! The story is a reality gut-punch for any Anthropology/Archaeology major! Such a great book for people interested in that field!

This was an okay read. I don't regret reading it but wouldn't recommend it to anyone either (unless they are curious about anthropology... But even then Levi Strauss is so much more entertaining).

This book is self-deprecating and humorous. I got a couple of good laughs, which is rare in an anthropology book.

Great book, informative and funny! If you are interested in Anthropology, read this!

I love the eloquent, lively, and vivid storytelling of the author! This book has made me laugh as much as it has enriched my vocabulary! Quick, educational, and hughly amusing read. Would love to read more.

I read this book years ago and was toughly entertained by it. Since then I've given many copies away to friends, all of whom enjoyed it. This copy is due to be given away, this time to a friend in Africa. I'm sure that he, too, will enjoy it.

One of the funniest books I have ever read as well as interesting and thought provoking.

Good service, book very interesting Pre university interview reading.

All good. As described.

A good read, enjoyable and touching. You really sympathise with the ups and downs of field research and have a good laugh at the funnny situations and cultural faux pas.