Book review: An anthropological perspective

✍ Scribed by Daniel Wight

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 71 KB
• Volume: 8
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1052-9284
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1298(199803/04)8:2<174::aid-casp471>3.0.co;2-o

✦ Synopsis

Tentative conclusions wrapped in quali®cations are so much the hallmark of academic publications that the boldness of Wilkinson's thesis is in itself refreshing. But it is exciting for more than its style: ®rst, its signi®cance goes far beyond health to encompass the quality of life in its broadest sense and how this relates to economic growth; and second, it provides a powerful argument for egalitarian social policy in an era increasingly hostile to such ideology. It is no wonder, then, that Unhealthy Societies has attracted such attention, and the critical scrutiny it is given should be regarded as a compliment to its importance.