Death by Design

A detailed, descriptive insight into the history and ecology of the Herero, traditional cattle pastoralists of the northern Kalahari desert. Combining ethnographic detail and extensive data collection and analysis using new methods, the book shows how anthropology can and should be informed by careful study of population dynamics. This unique demographic analysis reveals features of the population - recovery from African infertility, preferential survival of females, extraordinary longevity of the elderly, high rates of child fostering - that have profound importance for social life yet that are missed by much traditional ethnography.