xplain to all who were interested the theories behind cultural materialism and the need for its further development as a credible part of the world of science. To do this, Harris delved into the psychological aspects of interpreting culture as well as the historical evolution of Man's culture as described in anthropology, the theoretical basis of cultural materialism and presented detailed descriptions of the competing theories. It Was his intent to show that the theory of cultural materialism leads to better scientific theories about the causes of social life than the rival strategies currently available (p. ix).
According to Harris, "Cultural materialism is the strategy I have found to be the most effective in my attempt to understand the causes of differences and similarities among societies and cultures" (p. ix). In addition, he claims that this strategy was based on the simple premise that social life is a response to the practical problems of earthly existence (p. ix). In attempting to redefine the elements of culture, Harris is forced to conf
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