Land's End

By Tania Murray Li,

Book cover of Land's End: Capitalist Relations on an Indigenous Frontier

Book description

Drawing on two decades of ethnographic research in Sulawesi, Indonesia, Tania Murray Li offers an intimate account of the emergence of capitalist relations among indigenous highlanders who privatized their common land to plant a boom crop, cacao. Spurred by the hope of ending their poverty and isolation, some prospered, while…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Land's End as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Tania Li shows the impacts of the capitalist process of a highland group’s attempts to adopt commodity production of cacao in central Sulawesi, building on her two decades of ethnographic research there. The book shows how, in this process, relations among people and with their environment change as the forest disappears and land ownership and wealth become more inequitable – not particularly pretty. It taught me how the Sulawesi situation differs from the Bornean situation I know so well.

From Carol's list on Indonesian life and policy.

Want books like Land's End?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Land's End.

Browse books like Land's End

Book cover of Friction: An Ethnography of Global Connection
Book cover of The Banana Tree at the Gate: A History of Marginal Peoples and Global Markets in Borneo
Book cover of The Fourth Circle: A Political Ecology of Sumatraas Rainforest Frontier

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,187

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in land use, Indonesia, and capitalism?

Land Use 13 books
Indonesia 39 books
Capitalism 215 books