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"Using the theoretical tools of structural anthropology, DaMatta reaches beyond conventional academic anthropology to create an original blend of folklore and a kind of higher cultural journalism. The result is like a traveler's account of the metaphorical landscape of the world of his own culture." -Terrence Turner, University of Chicago

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“Anthropologists who work in Brazil have long recognized DaMatta’s provocative Carnavais, malandros e herois as a classic ethnography of Brazilian national culture. Its publication in English is a boon to those who study ritual and myth in urbanized, industrial societies and those who, against the postmodern grain, seek to describe national cultures.” —American Anthropologist

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In the past [four] decades Roberto DaMatta has established himself as one of Brazil’s foremost social scientists. [His book] is an intellectual tour de force which provides a much deeper understanding of the country. The book is essential reading for anyone truly interested in understanding Brazil and the Brazilians.” —Luso-Brazilian Review

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"This is an important translation of DaMatta’s classic work on Brazilian culture ... weaving ritual life, politics, social hierarchy, folklore, and literature into a complex tapestry which amounts to an ethnography of Brazil. This is accomplished masterfully against a background of comparative sociology which includes extended examples from the United States and India" —Journal of Ritual Studies

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