Recommended Reading: Holes and Medical Anthropology

This week I finished 2 great books. I highly recommend them both.

1. Holes by Louis Sachar

I have been meaning to read this book for awhile. Our library had it on cds, so I listened to it in the car with the kiddos as we were going about our various activities. The story is full of funny interconnections, some that I did not think of until hours after listening to it! It would be a great read for girls and boys interested in adventure stories, probably appropriate for about ages 8 and over.

2. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman

I am planning to have the students in my anthropology class read this book as part of the sections on health & illness and religion & spirituality.  It is a sad story, but so well written. The author tells it in an unpretentious and personal way.  She identifies and defines important aspects of cultural context, but does so using peoples' stories, humanizing the book and making the Hmong perspective easier to understand.