September 1, 2009

Postman on Malinowski

"BECAUSE HE DID NOT have time to read every new book in his field, the great Polish anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski used a simple and efficient method of deciding which ones were worth his attention: Upon receiving a new book, he immediately checked the index to see if his name was cited, and how often. The more 'Malinowski,' the more compelling the book. No 'Malinowski,' and he doubted that the subject of the book was anthropology at all."

-Neil Postman, here.

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