$18.95
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Wednesday, May 15 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
In Stock
$$18.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$18.95
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Edward C. Green
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

On the Fringe: Confessions of a Maverick Anthropologist Paperback – October 18, 2023

by Edward C. Green (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 10 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$18.95","priceAmount":18.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"18","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"54%2FvqjFabtFV5UhvkbismmCuHplrn305Z1A%2FZntgw7eaYOL8m0%2FgcpYAZgjKQZjqxyACe84UqA1h2ZTqjHgLCvvx%2FS8Tt5TNIiPrSgelu%2FM%2Fsv%2FS9GpBJW79%2FnmHAUWUEnUTnk0uyZ%2FsmfK%2FuTwLAA%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

On the Fringe is a deeply-moving memoir, a reflective and soul-baring account of the author's extraordinary journey as a professional who helped people from dying of AIDS, cholera, and other diseases across the globe. As an anthropologist, Green worked on every inhabited continent, giving the reader an on-the-ground look at how we aid developing nations. Chapters take readers to one exotic locale after another, describing gypsies in Montenegro, sex workers in Tanzania, disease researchers in Bangladesh, spirit mediums in Africa, and Samaritans in Palestine.

Though highly successful throughout his career, Green was plagued since childhood with insecurity, rebellion, and at times frightening depressions. Coming from a highly-privileged background—his father was an Assistant Secretary of State—his inner demons began, at an early age, to tell him he was no damned good, a fraud, and a failure. Anyone who has ever fallen victim to "the imposter syndrome" will relate to the author's lifelong struggle to overcome feelings of anxiety and incompetence and embrace his achievements.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    315 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    October 18, 2023
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.71 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1685132960
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1685132965
  7. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In this equally disturbing and uplifting book, Edward C. Green lays bare the self-doubt that dogged his decades of high-powered and highly effective public health consulting. Green's body of written and consulting work has influenced the response to public health emergencies by governments across the world." -H Russell Bernard, University of Florida

About the Author

Dr. Edward C. Green is a widely-respected anthropologist, former senior research scientist at Harvard University and member of Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, and author of eight previous books, nearly 500 academic articles, book chapters, etc., and contributions to popular media (Washington Post, NY Times). He has consulted for a number of international health organizations and has testified before Congress five times. He has worked in all major regions of the globe, performed various types of field research, and led efforts to design and evaluate both local and national public health programs. He has served on several boards of directors. He has received professional awards and his fieldnotes, photographs and recordings are now archived at the Smithsonian Museum.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Black Rose Writing (October 18, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 315 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1685132960
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1685132965
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.71 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Edward C. Green

Edward C. Green

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
10 global ratings
Inspiring Life
5 Stars
Inspiring Life
ON THE FRINGE𝙴𝚍𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝙲 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗10/19/23🌍𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:This is a captivating look at the life of Green who was first a child of a diplomat who traveled extensively and then became a highly regarded medical anthropologist who embedded himself into remote locations across the globe. As someone who loves to study I was so interested in the idea of studying a group of people and their culture for years on end. What a life! Also, as someone who grew up as the AIDS crisis was evolving and lost a family member in the early days I’m grateful to Green for getting involved where it was needed most.The fact that Green suffers from imposter syndrome as one of the most influential and inspiring scientists in modern times is eye-opening. Don’t we all feel that at times?🛖Thank you #partner @booksforwardpr and @blackrosewriting.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

john p mason
5.0 out of 5 stars Green's is a story of a different breed of cultural anthropologist.
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
Edward Green’s On the Fringe-Confessions of a Maverick Anthropologist is a fascinating read. Sometimes agonizing on a personal level, it is thrilling as a travelogue and instructive as a source of public health-AIDs lessons. His is a story of a different breed of cultural anthropologist. We read of Green’s moving back and forth between academia, government-related work, and private-sector, freelance jobs. Since there are many more anthropologists than teaching positions, many have struck out into applied work. Much of this is in poorer, developing countries. These, of course, are the same places where many anthropologists have done their ethnographic fieldwork. Green’s story exemplifies the “maverick” side of applied work. It reflects an adventuresome spirit of a “have-suitcase-will travel” and a “can-do” ethos. Foremost, his book underscores the important contribution anthropologists can make to solving gnawing public health problems. This involves innovative solutions based on detailed observations of real peoples’ behavior, rather than on stereotypes or guesswork. Read Green’s book if you: enjoy rugged foreign travel; focus on public health research; may want to practice applied anthropology; and are reticent about plowing ahead because of life’s setbacks.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
GranJan
5.0 out of 5 stars A Life Well Lived
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2023
This book is a fascinating memoir of an anthropologist whose field studies took him to areas in South America where the indigenous people had never been studied. He was also in Africa and in a position to help when AIDS broke out with such vengeance. His career led him to study many areas and to learn so much from the indigenous people. Instead of bringing the bossy white man to 'civilize' them, he became one of them (as much as possible). That created a great learning experience as these tribes were not all that naive and tended to only show their expected lives and traditions, not what they actually had. He brought a new way to study societies to the world of anthropology. It is surprising that all of the Ph. D.s that were out in the field had not considered the partnership approach as a best method. He was in the field to see the effects of the plantation system, mineral mining, apartheid, and lives of freed slaves centuries later and to bring that to the world to see. This is a very long book, but I could have read another 200 pages to get more details about this man's life. The author writes smoothly and the subject matter is fascinating. I would enjoy being a fly on the wall when he and his buddies sit around and hoist a few.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Peter F. Rousmaniere
5.0 out of 5 stars A ride through the developing world
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2023
This memoir of a long career of an anthropologist working in global public health and community development, is attractive in several ways, and extremely attractive to anyone like me who wants to in effect shadow a skilled analyst and consultant through very many developing world cultures. There are perhaps 100 highly personal, sharply etched incidents many of which are at the quality of witty, psychologically-aware travel writing by Newby or Thubron. The text-book like passages are kept very short and always apt. The one subject on which Green dwells as some length is AIDS prevention in Africa, where he shows how development policy by advanced countries can be completely clueless about the real lives of people. Green weaves into the narrative reflections about a difficult adolescence in a New England WASP family and, curiously, several paranormal experiences. I always felt that I was going with him on a colorful non-stop ride, ready for the next visit to Kosovo, Suriname, or Lesotho or wherever to happen.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
NOLADawn
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring Life
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2023
ON THE FRINGE
𝙴𝚍𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝙲 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗
10/19/23

🌍𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
This is a captivating look at the life of Green who was first a child of a diplomat who traveled extensively and then became a highly regarded medical anthropologist who embedded himself into remote locations across the globe. As someone who loves to study I was so interested in the idea of studying a group of people and their culture for years on end. What a life! Also, as someone who grew up as the AIDS crisis was evolving and lost a family member in the early days I’m grateful to Green for getting involved where it was needed most.

The fact that Green suffers from imposter syndrome as one of the most influential and inspiring scientists in modern times is eye-opening. Don’t we all feel that at times?

🛖Thank you #partner @booksforwardpr and @blackrosewriting.
Customer image
NOLADawn
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring Life
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2023
ON THE FRINGE
𝙴𝚍𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝙲 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗
10/19/23

🌍𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
This is a captivating look at the life of Green who was first a child of a diplomat who traveled extensively and then became a highly regarded medical anthropologist who embedded himself into remote locations across the globe. As someone who loves to study I was so interested in the idea of studying a group of people and their culture for years on end. What a life! Also, as someone who grew up as the AIDS crisis was evolving and lost a family member in the early days I’m grateful to Green for getting involved where it was needed most.

The fact that Green suffers from imposter syndrome as one of the most influential and inspiring scientists in modern times is eye-opening. Don’t we all feel that at times?

🛖Thank you #partner @booksforwardpr and @blackrosewriting.
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Robert Delft
5.0 out of 5 stars A Lively, Engrossing Book
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2023
In this delightful and surprising memoir, Green offers a tour of a life unusual in every way. Scion of an old and privileged family, he was expelled from Groton and he co-founded a street gang. His mother told him he would never amount to anything, but he became an anthropologist and worked in a "runaway slave society" in the Suriname jungle, as well as in Swaziland, Bangladesh, Palestine, Montenegro, Tanzania, and many other countries. He has published nine books and over 500 scholarly and related articles, a remarkable output. His descriptions in this book are fresh and often amusing, and he is candid about the self-doubts and worse that tormented him. Yet this is a buoyant read and a great deal of fun.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars interested in global health research? read this book
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2023
In this equally disturbing and uplifting book, Ted Green lays bare the self-doubt that dogged his decades of high-powered and highly effective public health consulting. Green's body of written and consulting work has influenced the response to public health emergencies by governments across the world -- from Bangladesh's program to reduce the incidence of childhood diarrhea to the U.S. government's response to HIV/AIDS. And now, in this unique autobiography, Green's clear writing about his peripatetic career is yet another of his many contributions to the social science canon.
H. Russell Bernard
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report