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60 QRCA VIEWS FA LL 2 014 www.qrca.org H arry Wolcott is a Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Oregon and has written several anthropology books. Wolcott's most recent book, Ethnography Lessons – A Primer, teaches the reader about ethnography through his own experiences of nearly 50 years as an ethnographer. With a dry wit, Wolcott tells the reader early in the book that, while his experi- ences fail to put him in the swashbuck- ling class of adventurers, he has still con- ducted some interesting studies of obser- vation. In the first two chapters, Wolcott reveals his initial shortcomings in not understanding the role of an ethnogra- pher. Fortunately for Wolcott, and the reader, his professor guided him to think less like a sociologist and more like an ethnographer. One differentiating quote from the book that displays the difference between academic work and marketing work is, "You can't rush your conclusions – just be patient." Obviously the words of an academic and not one responding to paying clients who have brands to create or refine. Wolcott begins by taking the reader through the background of ethnography, along with the role of serendipity in eth- nography. The meat of the book starts in chapter four: organizing an ethnographic account. Here you learn that there are multiple ways to organize your findings and there is no single definitive way to organize the data. In the remaining chapters, Wolcott takes the reader through searching for the ethnographer's essence, ethics, and intimacy in fieldwork, the use of analogy, and the lessons' end. One of the last chapters – "The Use of Analogy" – gives thoughts about making the presentation of data easier for the reader. Here, as in several of the other chapters, Wolcott leads the reader more into making their own decisions than lay- ing out a definitive path. The book, Ethnography Lessons, is an interesting journey through an ethnogra- pher's life used as a way to teach the reader about this discipline and the pri- mary topics that are important in the practice of ethnography. n BOOK REVIEWS n Ethnography Lessons – A Primer Harry F. Walcott Left Coast Press, 2010 Reviewed by George Sloan Customer Strategy International n Los Angeles, CA n gdsloan@yourcustomer.com 6633 E. Hwy 290, Suite 201 l Austin, TX 78723 l 512.637.6690 l www.thinkgroupaustin.com R business executives IT professionals mobile developers hispanic & latino market experienced management web streaming focus groups ethnographies video conferencing bilingual staff 5,000 sq. ft. facility personal client service eye tracking technology online bulletins medical professionals business owners product trial test on-site IT specialist national recruiting central location success

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