Consuming Grief: Compassionate Cannibalism in an Amazonian Society

I have used this book three years running in my Introduction to Cultural Anthropology course and inevitability students are taken with the book. In order to move away from large and generalizing textbooks, I have struggled to find engaging and more recently written ethnographies that introduce students to an array of concepts and questions normally covered in an introductory course. Consuming Grief fits the bill in several ways.Conklin inserts herself into the book just enough to avoid seeming like an omniscient author whose argument and data was somehow miraculously discovered. She discusses her reasons for focusing on the subject matter and provides enough discussion of methods and context that students relate to her journey as much as to the lives of the Wari' about whom she so sensitively writes. Conklin is also candid about how her relationship to the subject of cross-cultural notions of grief changed over time and when her brother passed away, leaving her questioning American society's response to illness and death. Such inclusions are nicely integrated into the text so that the focus remains on the Wari', however, they do provide some insight to students as to how long-term research and one's relationship to the people in the field are complex and infrequently find expression in academic discourse. Consequently, this books is a good introduction to fieldwork, ethics in the field, and of course cultural relativism given its subject matter and Conklin's own brief discussion of European medical practices that can be considered cannibalism in their own right.Kin relations and reciprocity are central to the practices of funerary cannibalism and also to the belief the Wari' possess in relation to the lives of ancestors as they become peccaries who offer themselves up for prey for those still living. Thus, the book provides excellent illustrations of or starting points for discussions on kinship systems, reciprocity, the body and its place in constituting social relationships, religion and worldview, as well as culture change.In sum, the book is deftly written and engaging as well as can serve multiple purposes for the instructor in an introductory course. My experience has been that students are initially captivated or repulsed by the subject matter only to become quickly moved and invested in the lives and worldview of the Wari'.

I'm a 20-year-old anthropology major and in my college Medicine and Culture class I was given an assignment in which I could choose any ethnography and write a critique of the book/author. My teacher provided us with examples of books we could read and this was one of them. I have always thought cannibalism was an interesting subject so I chose this book to critique. I find it to be excellently written and accessible to a lot of readers who are interested in cannibalism, not just anthropologists. The following is the introduction of my paper that I wrote to critique the book:Cannibalism has often been a taboo subject in Western culture. In Consuming Grief: Compassionate Cannibalism in an Amazonian Society, Beth A. Conklin brings cannibalism into a whole new light. Conklin explains the funerary cannibalistic practices of the Wari' and gives underlying causes as to why they participated in this. The Wari' are native South American Indians who live in western Brazil and eastern Bolivia in the Amazon rainforest. She argues that the reason the Wari' practice funerary (also known as mortuary or endo-) cannibalism is that they are trying to eradicate physical reminders of the person who died so the family members of the deceased can move on with their lives and not live in constant grief. Conklin successfully conveys her argument through the use of emic explanations, simple language, images and maps, and a very flowing structure (not only the structure of the book itself, but also the way that she presents arguments). Although the argument is successful, there are a few areas in which Conklin could have improved her ethnography: when using etic perspectives, she often used ideas from other researchers instead of formulating her own and she was repetitive in her use of language.

One of the better books my professors have made me read. Very detailed, sometimes I was a little grossed out but overall enjoyed the book and learned something a lot. Only negative I will say is that the book can be a little redundant.

Really well written. Was assigned to me for an anthropology class and I absolutely loved this read. Cool insight into societies much unlike ours. I'm not much of a reader but I couldn't put this one down

Very good, detailed book. Bought it for a cultural anthropology class and glad I read it! Seems to be an in depth, respectful study of the Wari' and the differences in ways people grieve.

Very good read. My professor for my anthropology theory class suggested it to me, and I'm glad she did. The topic is very interesting and it is pretty easy to read. I know many ethnographies can get pretty wordy and difficult to find the point but this one is very well written and definitely worth a read. The culture she studied is very interesting and unique!

Had to read this book for a class. I was skeptical at first, but being an anthropology major, I keep an open mind. This book was fascinating, and offered insights into one of the most taboo subjects in American culture. Absolutely worth the read and the purchase. Definitely an eye opener to another world outside of our own.

It came promptly and was what I wanted. There was a little delay because of weather but that isn't the sellers fault. Thanks for the book!

Great book, it arrived on time and was brand new. Needed it for school it came in three weeks before the beginning of classes