Drawing on data from work, family, and religious domains, addresses the relationship between gender and Hindu caste hierarchy in western Nepal.

A young man's journey in an increasingly meaningless and violent war. Dan heads off to Vietnam with two goals in mind: to return to the love of his life in one piece, and to make at least one Vietnamese friend while overseas. Assigned as a Civic Action Officer in a Vietnamese village, he ends up befriending an entire village and finding peace in a small corner of the world. Inspired by Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim and Thomas Dooley's Deliver Us From Evil, this novel demonstrates how one American's experience was not only different from anything he had ever imagined, but the very opposite.

Blood is more than a fluid solution of cells, platelets and plasma. It is a symbol for the most basic of human concerns--life, death and family find expression in rituals surrounding everything from menstruation to human sacrifice. Comprehensive in its scope and provocative in its argument, this book examines beliefs and rituals concerning blood in a range of regional and religious contexts throughout human history. Meyer reveals the origins of a wide range of blood rituals, from the earliest surviving human symbolism of fertility and the hunt, to the Jewish bris, and the clitoridectomies given to young girls in parts of Africa. The book also explores how cultural practices influence gene selection and makes a connection with the natural sciences by exploring how color perception influences the human proclivity to create blood symbols and rituals.

This book is a milestone in the history of academic research on the development and role of geomancy (fengshui in Chinese and p'ungsu in Korean) in Korean culture and society. As the first interdisciplinary work of its kind, it investigates many topics in geomancy studies that have never been previously explored, and contains contributions from a number of disciplines including geography, historical studies, environmental science, architecture, landscape architecture, religious studies, and psychoanalysis. While almost all books in English about geomancy are addressed to general readers as practical guides for divining auspicious locations, P'ungsu is a work of rigorous scholarship that documents, analyzes, and explains past and current practices of geomancy. Its readers will better understand the impact of geomancy on the Korean cultural landscape and appreciate the significant ecological principles embedded in the geomantic traditions of Korea; while researchers will discover new insights and inspirations for future research on geomancy not only in Korea, but in China and elsewhere.

In "Malay Magic: The Folklore and Popular Religion of the Malay Peninsula," Walter William Skeat immerses readers in the mystical world of Malay folklore and popular religion. Skeat's meticulous research and storytelling talent bring to life the enchanting traditions and beliefs of the Malay Peninsula. The book is a treasure trove of cultural insights, making it a fascinating read for those interested in ethnography and the supernatural.