Gulfstream

http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/21/new-yorker-jared-diamond-
business-media-new-yorker.html The New Yorker is being sued over a story by Jared Diamond, in which he describes a long running feud between New Guinea highlanders. One of the highlanders is now saying that Diamond has falsely accused him of “serious criminal activity” and “murder.” I do like Guns, Germs, and Steel, but I was struck by the frequency with which he described highlanders as “friends.” It seemed like it was important to him to form friendships with the highlanders, and for readers to be aware of his friendship. (Among other examples (try Amazon book search), the book is dedicated to “Esa, Karinga, Omwai, Paran, Sauakari, Wiwor, and all my other New Guinea friends and teachers”) Is it really possible to form a genuine friendship with people with a very different culture and values and history, and who are are also the subjects of your research? Is this common for anthropologists? 09:02