The Ceiling Outside

A thought-provoking account of the life and work of Franz Boas and his influential role in shaping modern anthropology<BR>  <BR> Franz Boas (1858–1942) is widely acknowledged for his pioneering work in the field of cultural anthropology. His rigorous studies of variations across societies were aimed at demonstrating that cultures and peoples were not shaped by biological predispositions. This book traces Boas’s life and intellectual passions from his roots in Germany and his move to the United States in 1884, partly in response to growing antisemitism in Germany, to his work with First Nations communities and his influential role as a teacher, mentor, and engaged activist who inspired an entire generation.<BR>  <BR> Drawing from Boas’s numerous but rarely read writings, Noga Arikha brings to life the man and the ideas he developed about the complex interplay of mind and culture, biology and history, language and myth. She provides a comprehensive picture of the cultural contexts in which he worked, of his personal and professional relationships, and of his revolutionary approach to fieldwork. He was celebrated in his lifetime for the cultural relativism he developed and the arguments he marshaled against entrenched racialism. But his was a constant battle, and Arikha shows how urgently relevant his voice and legacy have become again today.

'Astute, compassionate, and brilliant' Siri Hustvedt<BR><BR>Vanessa wakes from a coma having forgotten ten years of her life. <BR><BR>Toussaint is haunted by voices. <BR><BR>Claire loses the use of her hand because of an inexplicable pain. <BR><BR>Noga Arikha began studying these patients to explore how our physical experiences inform our identities. The question took on unexpected urgency when Arikha's own mother began to show signs of Alzheimer's disease. Weaving together stories of her subjects' troubles and her mother's decline, Arikha searches for meaning in the science she set out to study. The result is an unforgettable journey across the ever-shifting boundaries between ourselves and each other.<BR><BR>As her mother slips into the fog of dementia, philosopher Noga Arikha grapples with the unbreakable links between our bodies and our sense of self.<BR><BR>'Fascinates on every page' Lisa Appignanesi, author of Mad, Bad and Sad<BR><BR>'Will leave you humanly richer and, wonder of wonders, at peace with yourself' Antonio Damasio, author of Descartes' Error