I envied her smooth transitions through discussions of dense theory, reviews of related literature, and traditional anthropological fieldwork. Clearly written and well organized, the book is also a testament to the care that many people, in this case those at Cornell University Press, put into creating such a fine work.
Kurt Borchard, University of Nebraska Kearney
Historical ... Read moreGeography
In Salvage, Krisna Uk presents new research on how people in Cambodia cope with the aftermath of the horrific wars that have ravaged their country. She does so by probing in depth the creative engagement with these horrors of a rural community in minority ethnic areas heavily bombarded by the United States. Uk makes a very rich ethnographic contribution, with updated and contemporary information on cultures previously known mostly though older colonial-era ethnography, offering a substantial advance on everything that has come before. Her work also expands on such highly relevant aspects as the ideas about spirits of disease and misfortune, to show how people cope with trauma in ways rooted in their cultural traditions. This book will enrich the understanding of not only scholars and students but also officials in international aid agencies and others engaged in practical work in recovering war zones. Uk gives us the tools to help people in similar situations worldwide, to better focus on how people can rebuild by relying on their own existing heritage and knowledge, and on their own culturally configured ingenuity.
Magnus Fiskesjo, Cornell University Show Less