Published as part of The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute Special Issue Book Series, and through a series of thought-provoking articles, Wind, Life, Health: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives examines the richness of human ideas surrounding wind in all its manifestations - breath, spirit, sentiment, life, and health.

• Examines the richness of human ideas and practices surrounding wind, life, and health
• Features articles covering a wide range of themes including landscape, weather, body, perception, emplacement, climate, seasons, song, and music
• Conveys how different peoples have grappled with winds and spirits and how their experiences have shaped their world

• Explores a range of cultures: hunters and gatherers in the polar regions, inhabitants of the Malaysian rain forest, Andaman Islands, ancient India, China, Greece, Muslim East Africa, Victorian England, and mountain-dwelling Swiss

Elisabeth Hsu is Reader in Social Anthropology, Convenor of the Masters courses in Medical Anthropology at the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology of the University of Oxford, and Fellow of Green College. Her current research on Chinese medicine explores themes of touch, pain and feelings.

Chris Low, a postdoctorate at Oxford, holds an ESRC Research Fellowship and is currently involved with research on the changing relationships between animals, Bushmen, and Bushman medicine.