Those words, written by the American anthropologist Marvin Harris, convey some of his fascination with the field of anthropology.
Nothing human is alien to anthropology.
Though easy to define, anthropology is difficult to describe. Anthropologists may study ancient Mayan hieroglyphics, the music of African Pygmies, and the corporate culture of a U.S. car manufacturer. I am a human, and nothing human can be of indifference to me. We are curious about ourselves and about other people, the living as well as the dead, here and around the globe. Such questions are part of a folk anthropology practiced in school yards, office buildings and neighborhood cafes.