Last of the medicine men (Hardcover, 1st U.S. ed)

In The Last of the Medicine Men, author Benedict Allen, explores the mysterious and dramatic world of healers, who are popularly referred to as witchdoctors. In the diverse communities of the world, healing roles are assumed by faithhealers, shamans, psychotherapists, priests, performers, and even poets. Specifically, The Last of the Medicine Men examines the form and function these enigmatic characters take in four different cultures -- the provincial towns of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the jungles of Siberut Island, the wastes of Siberia, and the arid mountains of Mexico. The author investigates roles of medicine men by observing their customs -- even taking part in these rituals himself -- unveiling the varied, complex, and colorful spirits of Shamanism and suggesting what we in the Western world can learn from them.