I found some amusing and interesting stories in Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches - Marvin Harris' irreverent and objective guide to phenomena he describes as 'cow love', 'pig hate' and 'phantom cargo'. Harris writes in an easy laid back style with plenty of anecdotes, and though the work tries to explain a lot of deeply ingrained cultural practices as well as taboos, it is never simplistic. The general pace of the book however did not quite prepare me for the strongly worded final chapters however, where the author takes a shot at the hippie movement of the late sixties and early seventies. The book was published in the mid-seventies so it does tend to be a little dated but I think it is an excellent work and a rewarding read.