White's text on culture, which he considered to be the central idea of anthropology, is now considered a classic in the field, although at their time it pushed the envelope of study about how cultures create, develop and maintain symbols. From the beginning chapters White asserted that he was working as a scientist, or rather as a scholar who was "sciencing," a distinction he upheld through the rest of his work. He covers the "culturalogical" vs. psychological interpretations of human behavior, the causes and incidence of genius, the notion of the "great man" vs. the cultural process, and the illusion that humans have control over civilization. This reprint of the 1969 second edition includes a new prologue by Robert L. Cameiro (American Museum of Natural History). Percheron Press is the reprint imprint of Eliot Werner Publications. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)