Silent but Deadly
The Underlying Cultural Patterns of Everyday Behaviour
by Kirsten Bell
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Pub Date 31 Oct 2022 | Archive Date 30 Apr 2023
Description
An entertaining anthropological tour through the big answers to life’s little questions.
Why do farts evoke laughter and disgust? Is the aversion to the left hand universal? Are dogs really humankind’s best friend? Why do we tip wait staff but not teachers? Can you still spot the difference between a Brit and an American by their teeth? In Silent but Deadly: The Underlying Cultural Patterns of Everyday Behaviour, Kirsten Bell, an anthropologist who has lived in five countries on four continents—and learned about cultural gaffes by constantly committing them—places our everyday behaviours under the microscope.
Boldly going where no anthropologist has gone before, no topic is too small or insignificant for Bell’s attention, whether it’s the propensity of Brits to place their washing machine in the kitchen, the disinclination of Americans to buy rounds at the pub, Australians’ well-documented obsession with toilet paper, or Canadian sensibilities around swearing. The kind of book Jared Diamond might write if he was more concerned with the meanings of bodily emissions than the collapse of civilizations, Silent but Deadly deciphers the cultural patterns that underlie our everyday quirks, foibles, and habits.
A Note From the Publisher
1. Silent but Deadly
2. Pits of Despair
3. For the Love of Toilet Paper
4. Going to the Dentist Bites
5. Laundry Location, Location, Location
6. A Slug is a Snail Without a House
7. Must Love Dogs
8. Menageries and Stock Markets
9. The Illogic of Tipping
10. Beware of Colleagues Bearing Drinks
11. You Can't Say 'C*nt' in Canada
12. Cack Hands and Southpaws
13. The Magic of Numbers
Advance Praise
'A politically-engaged anthropology student from Africa once told me that his greatest pleasure was wiping his backside on the college toilet paper - each sheet of which was stamped, "Property of HM Government". Neither of us at the time thought this was the stuff of anthropology but we were wrong. Kirsten Bell in Silent But Deadly brings her learned but witty eye to bear on our most intimate of everyday activities showing how they reveal the unconscious worlds of meaning in which we all live. She may lay your anxieties about tipping to rest but you will never feel safe in the bathroom, kitchen or dentist's chair again though you will certainly laugh' - Nigel Barley, author of The Innocent Anthropologist.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781399936323 |
| PRICE | £11.99 (GBP) |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 1078605
Silent But Deadly answers all the questions you never dare ask in polite society: why do we laugh when someone let's rip in public, why are Americans obsessed with body odour and the Brits with dogs, what's the deal with the Aussie blasting out the C word and much more.
Kirsten Bell is an Australian social anthropologist living in the UK. She writes straight up, no messing about, and she's incredibly funny. Think Erma Bombeck crossed with Jilly Cooper and a dash of Tom Sharpe.
Even better, as she's currently Visiting Professor at King's College London, she also knows her stuff. Between giggles, she slides in a tonne of information.
Also, if you want to chase up original papers, her end of chapter notes and referencing are impeccable.
Silent But Deadly is an absolute delight. I've read it once to enjoy it and will read it again and chase up some of the references. It is also beautifully edited.
I am not fond of the cover. It doesn't do justice to the book. But otherwise, a huge five stars. Definitely a must-read and also an excellent gift if you're looking for a late Christmas present.
