This little book is now nine years old, but there is still no better text on the market for a course on the emerging field of the anthropology of tourism. Chambers covers a lot of ground in less than 130 pages, starting with the origins of modern tourism and ending with the issue of authenticity. The main concern is the impact of tourism on cultures, as people from the developed world travel in increasing numbers to the less-developed world. Specifically, what are the social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental costs and benefits of tourism, particularly for small scale societies and ethnic minorities? The focus is on cultural, ethnic, and indigenous tourism and ecotourism. The book is very clearly written and easy to follow, but not exciting to read. You will learn a lot from it, relatively painlessly, but it won't keep you up at night. Chambers covers the topic comprehensively, he has an excellent command of the relevant literature, and he has original ideas to contribute. The book is admirably cheap and it has a tough binding that will hold up well.