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E.E. Evans-Pritchard

The Nuer: A Description of the Modes of Livelihood and Political Institutions of a Nilotic People

E.E. Evans-PritchardNonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1940

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Book Brief

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E.E. Evans-Pritchard

The Nuer

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1940
Book Details
Pages

320

Format

Book • Nonfiction

Setting

Sudan • 1930s

Publication Year

1940

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

The Nuer by E.E. Evans-Pritchard provides an ethnographic study of the Nuer people of South Sudan, focusing on their political, kinship, and age-set systems and their ecological influences. The Nuer's society is centered around cattle husbandry, practices transhumance due to seasonal changes, and has a unique conceptualization of time and space defined by social events and distances. Certain editions contain sensitive visual content.

Informative

Contemplative

Mysterious

Reviews & Readership

3.6

1,074 ratings

48%

Loved it

37%

Mixed feelings

15%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

E.E. Evans-Pritchard's The Nuer is lauded for its detailed ethnographic account of the Nuer people, offering profound insights into their social structure, kinship, and political organization. However, some critiques point to the author’s occasionally paternalistic tone and limited scope in addressing Nuer women's perspectives. Overall, it is a seminal, though imperfect, work in anthropology.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Nuer?

Readers who appreciate deep ethnographic studies and anthropological insights will enjoy The Nuer by E.E. Evans-Pritchard. Fans of Clifford Geertz's The Interpretation of Cultures and Bronisław Malinowski's Argonauts of the Western Pacific will find this work engaging for its detailed exploration of Nuer society and cultural norms.

3.6

1,074 ratings

48%

Loved it

37%

Mixed feelings

15%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

320

Format

Book • Nonfiction

Setting

Sudan • 1930s

Publication Year

1940

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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