Scan barcode
aemesserlie's review against another edition
4.0
Despite all of the controversy surrounding this book, and Margaret Mead in general, I really enjoyed Coming of Age in Samoa. Although it is somewhat lacking in depth and detail when compared with other ethnographies, Mead's purpose for writing this book was not just to inform her fellow scholars, but also laypeople interested in learning about other cultures. This book does a wonderful job of being easy to read and accessible to the lay person.
gvorb's review against another edition
3.0
A quick, though not particularly compelling read. It's always interesting to read something that was groundbreaking at the time of publication, but from a modern perspective I found Coming of Age in Somoa to be a bit dry and very light on actual analysis. Then again, maybe that is a good thing as I'm skeptical of Mead's ability to draw many meaningful conclusions after spending a mere 9 months living in the community.
livtredre's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
tearex's review against another edition
4.0
Had to read this for an anthropology class in school. Quite enjoyable :)
bridgett's review
2.0
So this book was an important historical contribution to anthropology as a discipline but it’s not a good book to read for fun today. The most interesting chapter is the last one where Mead comments at length about her own Western culture.