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New Books in Anthropology

New Books Network
Anthropology
Caste
Climate Change
China
Environmental Justice
India
Colonialism
Ethnography
Buddhism
Cyprus
Anti-Christian Violence
Cultural Expression
Hindutva
Mestizaje
Afro-Latinx Culture
Cats
Race
Migration
African Diaspora
Civil Society

This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes1059Founded16 years ago
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Artwork for New Books in Anthropology

Latest Episodes

Green Thinking: Unlearning Outdated Ideas in Science, Economics and Politics (Routledge, 2026) is about unlearning, discarding damaging, outdated ideas deeply rooted in our societies. It seeks to “compost” the views of dead white men (René Descartes,... more

Immoral Traffic: An Ethnography of Law, NGOs, and the Governance of Prostitution in India (Cambridge UP, 2025) delves into the complex intersection of India's anti-prostitution law and global anti-trafficking campaigns, and how they impact sex worker... more

Imagine that you have just lost your job. You wonder: “Who or what can I depend on now?” The answer, it turns out, varies significantly depending on where you live. In Norway, a small European social democracy, you would almost certainly turn to the ... more

Belize is often described as a “pristine” ecotourism destination with a landscape that is “naturally” valuable. Yet for much of the twentieth century, British Honduras—as the country was known under colonial rule—was seen as lacking value, an unprofi... more

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Recent Guests

Sandra Rozental
Professor and researcher at El Colegio de México
El Colegio de México
Episode: Sandra Rozental, "The Absent Stone: Mexican Patrimony and the Aftershocks of State Theft" (Duke UP, 2026)
John Charles Simon
Co-author of Understanding Laughter and Humor
Palgrave Macmillan book authors
Episode: John Charles Simon and Jennalee Donian, "Understanding Laughter and Humor: Why We Laugh, Why We Don’t, and Why It Matters" (Palgrave MacMillan, 2026)
Jennalee Donian
Co-author of Understanding Laughter and Humor
Palgrave Macmillan book authors
Episode: John Charles Simon and Jennalee Donian, "Understanding Laughter and Humor: Why We Laugh, Why We Don’t, and Why It Matters" (Palgrave MacMillan, 2026)
Francesca Sbardella
Anthropologist and historian of religions, author
University of Bologna; Berghahn Books (author of Inhabiting Silence)
Episode: Francesca Sbardella, "Inhabiting Silence: An Anthropologist in the Cloister" (Berghahn Books, 2025)
Matthew Wolf-Meyer
Professor of science and technology studies; editor
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Episode: Matthew J. Wolf-Meyer et al eds., "Mapping Medical Anthropology for the Twenty-First Century" (Rutgers UP, 2026)
Junko Kitanaka
Medical anthropology scholar
KO University, Tokyo
Episode: Matthew J. Wolf-Meyer et al eds., "Mapping Medical Anthropology for the Twenty-First Century" (Rutgers UP, 2026)
Eugene Raikhel
Faculty member in Comparative Human Development; editor
University of Chicago
Episode: Matthew J. Wolf-Meyer et al eds., "Mapping Medical Anthropology for the Twenty-First Century" (Rutgers UP, 2026)
Janaka Jayawickrama
Author of Under the Gaze of Global Mental Health
Author, book title discussed in episode
Episode: Janaka Jayawickrama and Jerome Wright, "Under the Gaze of Global Mental Health: A Critical Reflection" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025)
Jerome Wright
Co-author of the book
Author, book title discussed in episode
Episode: Janaka Jayawickrama and Jerome Wright, "Under the Gaze of Global Mental Health: A Critical Reflection" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025)

Host

Miranda Melcher
Host in the New Books Network; frequently collaborates on anthropology-related content.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 139 ratings
  • Beautiful and Soothing

    Wonderful to feel connected and grounded in today’s troubling world.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lily Scott - One Love
    United States2 years ago
  • Good podcast; shame about the gambling ads

    Hi, i really appreciate this podcast, but think that running gambling ads is in questionable taste given the disproportionate impact of gambling on the marginalised

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Hugo JH
    Australia2 years ago
  • It's a common belief that if you can't explain something simpl, you don't understand it. That doesn't naturally lead us to deliver all knowledge for the lowest common denominator, but most maybe all, sources of information are being written for the person who won't understand it. This podcast has breaks from that bad habit. In a week I've heard ideas, sharpened from experience and repetition, delivered with thrust I've never met elsewhere.

    Audible
    5
    Nahvis
    United States5 years ago
  • mostly a podcast by experts for experts

    It's a common belief that if you can't explain something simpl, you don't understand it. That doesn't naturally lead us to deliver all knowledge for the lowest common denominator, but most maybe all, sources of information are being written for the person who won't understand it. This podcast has breaks from that bad habit. In a week I've heard ideas, sharpened from experience and repetition, delivered with thrust I've never met elsewhere.

    Audible
    5
    Jer
    United States5 years ago
  • Engaging and informative

    This podcast covers a wide range of books, and the conversations are really interesting.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    dkd84
    United States7 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some prefer shorter episodes for quick book overviews.
Fans appreciate hearing authors discuss complex ideas in approachable ways.
Listeners praise the breadth of scholarly topics and accessible interviews.
A few critics note occasional ad placements but overall high-quality analysis.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

John Charles Simon and Jennalee Donian, "Understanding Laughter and Humor: Why We Laugh, Why We Don’t, and Why It Matters" (Palgrave MacMillan, 2026)
Q: Could you unpack the working definition of humor and how it relates to laughter and distancing?
Humor is a deliberate attempt to inspire amusement by creating, manipulating, or highlighting vulnerability, with a focus on maintaining affiliation while introducing distancing through perspective, absurdity, or new information to make the vulnerability safe to laugh at.
Relative Strangers: Romani Kinship and Palestinian Difference
Q: Would you be able to explain the basics of what listeners need to know about Romani history in the Middle East, and what the terms Roma and Dome mean and how they differ?
Roy explains that his focus is contemporary Palestine, that the Dome are Romani in the region, and that there is a broader historical nomadic presence dating back to at least the 8th century, with language (Domari) and cross-border mobility illustrating blurred boundaries rather than clean classifications.
Matthew J. Wolf-Meyer et al eds., "Mapping Medical Anthropology for the Twenty-First Century" (Rutgers UP, 2026)
Q: What is the role of institutions and global knowledge networks in shaping medical anthropology today?
Eugene discusses the global dissemination of ideas through institutions, conferences, and training, and how power structures—including pharmaceutical and colonial legacies—continue to influence what is treated as medical practice.
Matthew J. Wolf-Meyer et al eds., "Mapping Medical Anthropology for the Twenty-First Century" (Rutgers UP, 2026)
Q: How does the book address the history and evolution of core concepts like sickness across different locales?
Junko explains that keywords function as emic terms capturing disciplinary history and use, helping readers see how classifications shift in contexts such as planetary health, the global south versus north, and other geographies.
Matthew J. Wolf-Meyer et al eds., "Mapping Medical Anthropology for the Twenty-First Century" (Rutgers UP, 2026)
Q: What motivated you to use a keyword-driven mapping approach for the volume?
The editors describe how keywords allow a flexible exploration space, enabling authors to pursue diverse directions while maintaining a coherent framework that ties together biographies, topics, and regional contexts.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in Anthropology

What is New Books in Anthropology about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This series features in-depth conversations with scholars about recently published books across anthropology, history, and related social sciences. Episodes typically center on primary themes like colonialism, heritage, food systems, urbanism, gender, and multispecies futures, with a strong emphasis on ethnographic methods, regional studies, and interdisciplinary context. Guests are often established academics or rising scholars who bring historical, cultural, or theoretical perspectives to contemporary questions, making the show valuable for researchers, students, and professionals seeking nuanced, rigorously argued insights. A notable strength is the breadth of topics and geographic focus, which helps listeners discover new authors and cr... more

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Which podcasts are similar to New Books in Anthropology?

These podcasts share a similar audience with New Books in Anthropology:

1. New Books in Critical Theory
2. The LRB Podcast
3. What's Left of Philosophy
4. Politics Theory Other
5. New Books in Psychoanalysis

How many episodes of New Books in Anthropology are there?

New Books in Anthropology launched 16 years ago and published 1059 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on New Books in Anthropology?

Recent guests on New Books in Anthropology include:

1. Sandra Rozental
2. John Charles Simon
3. Jennalee Donian
4. Francesca Sbardella
5. Matthew Wolf-Meyer
6. Junko Kitanaka
7. Eugene Raikhel
8. Janaka Jayawickrama

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