In Anthropology off the Shelf, leading anthropologists consider the craft of writing and the deeply-rooted passions that fuel their desire to write books. In eighteen original essays, the contributors reveal their inspirations and worries, their narrative strategies and imagined audiences, their habits and how they get people to read what they write. The authors reflect on the very personal decisions required to take a work of anthropology from its initial conception to its creation, and beyond that to its reception by actual readers. This path-breaking anthology offers rich detail on how writers steer through difficult issues of racism, sexism, real and imagined critics, and ethical quandaries. In captivating first-person accounts, the reader gets sharp insight into the creative process and the challenges of bringing new ideas into the public conversation.