"The Xilixana Yanomami, an Indian tribe of the northern Amazon Basin in Brazil, have been widely studied as the largest indigenous people to retain a traditional way of life. This book presents the most complete account available of the Yanomami before and after their encounter with the modern world.".

"Recapturing details of the group's history and demography back to 1930, the authors describe the fortunes and misfortunes of the Yanomami over a period of nearly seven decades, including 28 years prior to their first contact with the outside world. For each of eight villages, they present a complete demographic profile of fertility, mortality, and migration.

They also explain some of the mysteries of Yanomami social structure and offer specific information on both the number and the reasons for the tribe's infanticide, a topic that has received vague treatment in other writing."--BOOK JACKET.