For the Anthros out there

I recently ran across an article about anthropologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy's new book, Mothers and Others, on Salon.

To my surprise, I hadn't heard of her before, despite her long career of making controversial statements about motherhood, breeding, childrearing, and other related subjects in primates and people.

Here is an excellent summary of her career and key ideas.

Many of her observations and ideas mirror my own after having lived in various countries and observing different lifestyles. I find her statements about allomothers particularly accurate and important.

However statements that her views are now commonly accepted do not ring true to me. After my stint in the London School of Economics Anthropology department and other experiences, I think many of her ideas have yet to gain widespread acceptance, even if they seem obvious.