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Schlegel's reflections on the Teduray depict a well-developed society whose peaceful ideals were strinkingly unlike the competitive ideals of his western upbringing. The Teduray were hunter-gatherers and subsistence farmers who lived in harmony with the forest and its creatures. Although The Teduray had no written language, they had a remarkable legal system, a strong storytelling tradition, and a well-defined cosmology with a wide range of spirits. There were spirits who took care of swamps and wild pigs as well as elderly water spirit couples who lived at springs and kept flowers fresh and beautiful.
In addition to providing a solid cultural background of a compassionate, gentle people, the author recounts his spiritual awakending to issues of gender equality, tolerance of homosexuality, and the importance of cooperation. Schlegel movingly portrays how, in times of personal tragedy, he found strength in the Teduray's beliefs. Sadly, memories are all that are left of the people of Figel. The community was massacred during ethnic conflicts in the early 1970s.
"In a well-written, nontechnical style, Schlegel discusses Teduray culture and worldview with sympathy, love and understanding, making his own interaction with the group an integral part of the description. He weaves his reflections on his two-year stay with the Teduray into his account of life with family, friends, religious and university colleagues, and his struggle to become a better person as a result of the profound lessons he learned from these 'simple' hunting and gathering swidden people. The data-gathering and analysis are of the highest social science order, yet the book might almost be categorized as humanistic because of its intensely personal nature. The holistic picture into which he integrates humanistic and social science insights makes fascinating reading." -- Mary Racelis - from Amzon