Gives great definitions of basic but much confused terms like nation,culture, state etc. Beyond , it is wise, learned and and a real call for an end to hierarchy and domination , superior and inferior statuses in our thought and in society. We need more books like this that really critique American society.

"Culture of Intolerance: Chauvinism, Class, and Racism in the United States," by Mark Nathan Cohen, is a fascinating book. Cohen writes in a clear, accessible style, and handles controversial issues with a firm and non-sensational confidence.

Cohen begins by considering the impact of the controversial book "The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life," by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray. Cohen goes on to deconstruct prevailing notions about "race." He claims "'Races' as depicted in the popular imagination do not exist and have never existed" (chapter 2) and considers such scientific evidence as data about blood types in order to support his assertion.

Cohen examines human culture, language in particular, and considers the often arbitrary nature of cultural phenomena. Among the phenomena he discusses are "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," breast feeding, IQ tests, and the debate over "Ebonics." Overall, an intelligent, thought-provoking book.

this book is a must read for anyone interested in "race" and class issues and how they relate to our culture and society today. i was lucky enough to take a class with dr. cohen in which we of course used this book, and i to say it was an enriching experience. "culture of intolerance" lays down well thought out points without being totally bogged down and drawn out by experiments and scientific data. cohen easily says what needs to be said in a coherant and intelligent manner. this is perhaps one of the most thought provoking books i have read in quite some time. do not hesitate to pick up and read it today.

The central message of this book is easy to convey: With the rise of civilization, health deteriorated. Of course this doesn't hold true for all of civilization all the time. But even to date the health of the less privileged in many Third World countries, and may be even that of the less privileged in our own big cities, is not better than that of hunter-gatherers from Paleolithic times. Contrary to current ideas held by many, the rise of agriculture, which allowed the birth of civilizations of ever increasing complexity, meant a step backward as far as health and nutrition is concerned.

The main part of the book is rather short, some 140 pages. Written as an extended essay, this part reviews the evolution of human society, the history of disease as related to this evolution, and the impact this evolution had on nutrition. Two chapters, one on present day hunter-gatherer societies, the other on palaeopathology, then evaluate evidence for the views presented in the earlier chapters. Cohen is clear to point out the weaknesses of the various forms of evidence, but taken together the evidence substantially supports his case.

The next 80 pages are notes, while another 25 pages contain references, all in small print. These notes contain a wealth of detailed information; sometimes they are more like a small review on a particular topic than a simple note. This level of detail would certainly detract from the line of argument if it were included in the main part of the text. So I found this choice for presenting the material a happy one.

The main text is particularly well organized and well written too. Despite the fact that the information content is dense, the text is surprisingly readable. All in all, the author has done a particularly good job. For anyone interested in the history of health, this is a must read!

This is one of the better books on physical anthropology among prehistoric peoples. Especially interesting is the chapter by Anthony Perzigian, Patricia Tench, and Donna Braun.