Since its founding in the nineteenth century, social anthropology has been seen as the study of exotic peoples in faraway places. But today more and more anthropologists are dedicating themselves not just to observing but to understanding and helping solve social problems wherever they occur - in in[...]

This articulate and authoritative survey of both the popular and academic trends in anthropology demonstrates the broad relevance of anthropological knowledge and argues for a more inclusive conception of the discipline that engages the public imagination.[...]