Dinner with a Cannibal: The Complete History of Mankind's Oldest Taboo

by Carole A. Travis-Henikoff, Christy G Turner (Foreword)

Presenting the history of cannibalism in concert with human evolution, Dinner with a Cannibal takes its readers on an astonishing trip around the world and through history, examining its subject from every angle in order to paint the incredible, multifaceted panoply that is the reality of cannibalism. At the heart of Carole A. Travis-Henikoff’s book is the question of how cannibalism began with the human species and how it has become an unspeakable taboo today. At a time when science is being battered by religions and failing teaching methods, Dinner with a Cannibal presents slices of multiple sciences in a readable, understandable form nested within a wealth of data. With history, paleoanthropology, science, gore, sex, murder, war, culinary tidbits, medical facts, and anthropology filling its pages, Dinner with a Cannibal presents both the light and dark side of the human story; the story of how we came to be all the things we are today.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Anthropology, Sociology, True Crime, Science, Book Club

333 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2008

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I pretty much love all things horrifying, including humans eating humans, so I figured Dinner with a Cannibal by Carole A. Travis-Henikoff would be a wonderful and interesting read. Unfortunately there just wasn't a whole lot of information on cannibalism in this book.

It started with gross things that people eat. It is important that you note now, before you get yourself in an awkward situation, that rocky mountain oysters are not oysters. And if you order sweetbreads you will not get raisin cinnamon toast.

Then it tried to get to cannibalism, but was so disorganized and unfocused, that it only touched on it here and there. For example, one chapter starts by talking about Aborigines, then jumps to Neanderthal cannibalism, and then back to Aboriginal scarification and finally gets to Aborigine cannibalism. A very roundabout way, but it finally made it, for about one page of the chapter. In another she talks about cannibalistic infanticide and then wanders off to the topic of child brides, which is unsettling for sure, but has nothing to do with cannibalism. I would say, all in all, about 5% of this book had anything to do with people eating people.

And when she does get to the topic promised by the title, I have to wonder about her sources and the credibility of her claims. For instance she says there is irrefutable evidence that Neanderthals were cannibals because of the cut marks found on bones. There certainly may well have been cannibalism going on... or they may have defleshed bodies for ritualistic burial purposes. There could be many explanations for this. So suspected cannibalism, fine, but definitive evidence, nay. Also, in recounting her evidence that Aborigines were cannibals, she says that there are too many accounts to be ignored. Too many accounts by invading peoples who treated the Aborigines atrociously and continue to treat them as second class citizens today? A quote from an article concerning another book about aborigines and cannibalism sums up my thoughts nicely:

" 'I don't think there is any credible evidence in the historical-anthropological literature to sustain it,' said James Cook University historian Henry Reynolds, regarded as Australia's pre-eminent historian on Aborigines.

'Certainly there were writers in the 19th century who wrote sensational material along these lines, but to think that anyone in the late 20th century can take it seriously and put it forward without any evidence is pretty disturbing,' he said."

I concur! But what do you expect from a lady who evidently links Aborigines and Neanderthals together in her mind?

All in all, this was a pretty lame read. If you want to read a book on cannibalism, do not go here. However, if you want to read a bunch of loosely (and I use this term loosely) related crap, written dully, then I dare say this book is for you.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost gave up. The first half of this book is mostly random history with a little cannibalism sprinkled in. I was losing interest. The second half got a bit more involved with what the title and description of the book would have you believe what the book is about. Overall, it was ok. And depending on how much cannibalism you want to read about, you may like it less or more than I did. I was torn between 2 stars or 3. But I did find a couple events discussed intriguing and found a couple other books I'd like to read on those subjects. So that's a plus.

[Naida · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a really great and interesting story in here, but I couldn't help thinking that she needed a better editor. She quotes Mary Roach, the author of Stiff, Spook & Bonk and couldn't help but think she would have been a better author of this text.

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't get past the writing, so I quit at about page 150. Now I've seen worse (much worse), but this is incredibly disjointed and soooooo much of it is not actually on anthropophagy (humans eating humans). I think it is actually a insurmountable pet peeve of mine when a nonfiction book is written as if the writer had taken bullet-pointed facts and just... un-bullet-pointed them, pushed them together in weakly-focused chapters, and padded it up with random stuff. haha, reading the other reviews here perhaps it is a pet peeve for many people and not actually a personal problem, haha. Anyway, I stopped when there was a page on people with hypertrichosis (like Jo-Jo the Dog Faced Boy). I was like, WTF, what does that have anything to do with cannibalism? Don't insult Jo-Jo! Too bad, because it could have been much improved with a strict editor. Well, anything could be much improved with a strict editor... point is, this wasn't.

[Grace Peck · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ish?? I’m waffling because there was some stuff here I liked/found interesting and other stuff I didn’t like, and ultimately it did capture and keep my attention for the most part, and I do feel like I’m walking away from this having learned things.

What I did like - I don’t know much about the history of cannibalism beyond serial killers and survival cannibalism (Donner party, Jamestown, etc). So learning or at least being introduced to all the different circumstances that can lead to it is interesting.

What I didn’t like - the authors tone and humor felt off to me, as well as improper citing of sources for certain things. And organization of the info was random and confusing - I don’t get why she didn’t organize it by time period or country, something like that? One minute we are learning about Chinese cannibalism, suddenly it’s a tribe in South America. It was annoying.

The author’s closing was also this very long winded lecture thing on how there’s too many of “us” (🙄) and we need to make a change or something like that, without stating exactly what or how that needs to happen. It was weird. Like it almost felt like she was making an argument in favor of cannibalism as a way to cull the human population???

The more I think about it the more it pisses me off, actually- capitalism and corporations are what’s killing our planet, not people who don’t eat other people! And we actually do have enough food in the world to feed people - that food is just being hoarded as well as other resources by said corporations and capitalism. Cannibalism is not the answer our problems. Very weird!

I understand the objective examination of cannibalism- I’m not judging ancient peoples who participated in it for religious, ceremonial, revenge, survival reasons. We are all formed by our society and cultures moral beliefs, so what might have been normal and okay to one culture is going to seem wrong to another.

But while I get at the end the author was probably just trying to point this out, it felt very “we should return to natural selection” and let the weaker among us die, which I absolutely have an issue with.

[Rinn Baltz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I rarely feel the need to leave a negative review on anything--after all, just because I didn't enjoy it doesn't mean no one else could--but, as an anthropologist who's done extensive research into the subject, it makes me bananas.
Starting with a flippant reference to Inuit "cannibalism" (covered partially in John Steckley's "White Lies About the Inuit," but an easily disproved assumption), this book clearly uses cannibalism as a sensational headline topic, and provides no real anthropological discussion.
If cannibalism is really a topic you find interesting, don't look for flashy titles and eye-catching covers. A more mainstream book on the topic, Bill Schutt's "Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History," does a much better job. If you're looking for something more technical, consider taking the time to read "The Anthropology of Cannibalism" by Laurence Goldman, which covers topics across the world, and dives a little deeper than the surface-level "ooo scary cannibals," troupe.

[Jamie Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

First if you are picking this up because you are into the modern day cannibal/psychopath, this isn't the book for you.
This is for the people who are into anthropology and history.
Cannibalism happens for a lot of different reasons. The people who survived the Donner Party incident were treated badly when they got back to civilization because of the cannibalism rumors.
I loved it! I am always interested in things people do and why. It was a little gross but I mean we are supposed to think it is gross now in 2024. People don't look like they'd taste good.
I couldn't reach this while hungry is what I am saying.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saying that I never anticipated a book about cannibalism would be one of my favorite books is an understatement, but here we are. This book was so interesting, fascinating, and informational.

You can tell the author truly has a passion for uncovering the truth of cannibalism and didn’t just write this book in an attempt to push a narrative she knew nothing about. The book was so honest and gave cultural insight that I would never have found otherwise.

The hardest part about this book was finding friends who were open to me telling them all about cannibalism and this book without them not thinking I was absolutely insane.

[Elizabeth Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting study into the why of cannibalism, not necessarily going into the incidents but giving a more psychological thesis on why this taboo has been practiced all over the world and for thousands of years. I didn't realize there were so many toes of cannabalism and reasons why it was practiced.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was truly enjoying this book. I loved the history! What we/I thought cannibalism was isn't really true. It is just not the fact of eating ones own species for fun, sport, whatever. It's about life, spirituality, love and yes revenge, war or survival of the fit. I am disappointed that I ran out of time to read this whole book (Netgalley). Life just got in the way.

[Tammy Buchli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a fascinating history of cannibalism through a historical and anthropological lens. A bit too anecdotal in places, with more focus than I needed on the author’s experiences. But, still,, very, very interesting.

[Lauren Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a very well researched book. I like that it wasn’t the typical modern day cannibal book. This was more of a historical book and the history of cannibalism. It’s an interesting read.

[Mrs. DL · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded down.

This book needed an editor and some re-arrangements. It´s a very roundabout way to discuss the topic. It´s important to note that this book is leaning towards anthropology and sociology, and the writing didn´t match the premise. Bummer.

[AJ Vaglica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yikes! I don’t think I’d recommend this book to anyone. While it’s not horrible, it’s incredibly repetitive and poorly edited. There’s also information in here that is just flat out wrong and borderline offensive. I’m surprised something like this was allowed to be published in the 21st century.

[Dalton · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you're going to promise a book about cannibalism please actually write a book about it. I don't care about your anecdotes and what not just deliver what is promised on the cover or don't write it.

[Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great writing style, good anthropology and information. However, not remembering the question which led me to read thinking left me all squeamie.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Cannibals in the closet" is a phrase used throughout this book that takes an anthropological look at the history of humans and our interactions with one another. From the United States to China to Africa, Travis-Henikoff discusses the cultural stereotypes ingrained in current societies and the archaeological evidence of cultures past that have shaped our perceptions of how we live.
Food is a huge role in every person's life. Depending on where and how you are raised, your perceptions of food, hunger, and satiation may be the same as your neighbor or on a completely different spectrum.
This book starts out as a conversation, but sadly, ends like a boring lecture. I was very excited by the first few chapters, particularly her simile of the brain starting as a shack and growing to multiple expansions; this analogy would be beneficial to those interested in both psychology and biological anthropology.
Having already read Conklin's "Consuming Grief" I found the references welcoming and also found several other books that may be interesting reads in the future. Carole isn't nearly as thorough in her pages as Conklin was for the Wari, but there's reason: Carole is offering an over-view that is meant to pull people in while offering sources for further information. She does this in a way that doesn't feel like advertising, but a way i appreciate when reading more scholarly fare, which is to not only offer their own knowledge of a subject, but to also offer differing knowledge and cite the information so readers can make their own choices for what they explore in the future.
Woven into the chapters are correlations between cannibalism and climate, politics and scarcity. There is no pussy-footing around revisionist historians; Travis-Henikoff takes them on directly and discusses the dangers of producing ethnographies and history books that only focus on the "good" and lay the foundation for the "bad" to become less innocuous as people forget.
By the last few chapters, the tone of the book took a change. It became much more of a lecture. The fun facts were still there to be ferreted out, but were not presented as they were in the early pages of the book.
"Dinner with a Cannibal" would be wonderful supplemental reading for anyone interested in (or taking classes in) cultural anthropology and sociology in terms of cultural shift.

[Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another book I randomly picked up at the library. I have to say that I've always found cannibalism to be among the most horrifying and disturbing of ideas, and perhaps that is why I found the book so absorbing. Travis-Henikoff argues that, contrary to what some have claimed in recent years, cannibalism was a common feature in all human societies throughout history, and only recently have situations changed enough to permit the current attitude of horror towards what could mean life or death to a people. She backs her arguments with a lot of interesting evidence from human genetic codes to civilizations throughout the world. In the end, Travis-Henikoff illustrates how even cannibalism can become an accepted practice in a culture. Often going back to the theme that cannibals often chose life over death when situations demanded, she explains how such practices evolved into complex patterns of culture, from those who ate their enemies out of hatred to those who ate their dead family members out of love, with no group sharing the same attitudes.

However, I think she is a better anthropologist than historian, falling into common stereotypes to describe Medieval European society and often goes into long personal asides describing her interest in unusual delicacies in general, from delicious and nutritious brains to the flavor of tongues (I think I was most disturbed by these scenes, linked so closely to the books main themes since, in mammals, they all taste the same). In the end, an extremely disturbing but interesting read that definitely makes one think about human nature and culture.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I heard an interview with the author on NPR and found the topic fascinating. When I think of cannibalism I think of two things: shipwrecked survivors forced to eat one of their own, and Hannibal Lector devouring his victims. These are probably the types of cannibalism that are most commonly portrayed in movies and in the news, but cannibalism actually has a rich and important history around the world. People have eaten human flesh and organs in many cultures for many, many reasons (medicinal, religious, funerary, etc).

So yes, the subject matter is interesting, and the NPR interview was very intriguing (uh, including the part where the author declared that she routinely ate her own scabs as a child), but the book itself was pretty disappointing. I found the author's tone off-putting, and most importantly I think she is just not a good writer.

I have to hand it to her for doing an extensive amount of research, but while reading the book I oscillated between feeling incredibly bored and feeling incredibly irritated. Other people may appreciate her sense of humor, but it didn't grab me.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting topic often lost in distracting side-topics. Started off well with the basic warm-up idea of "look at all the weird things people eat around the world--not that much weirder to eat people, then, eh?" Interesting looks at cannibalism in other species, which give glimpses into age-old origins of the practice. Then a thought-provoking differentiation of the several types of and motives for cannibalism (funerary, war-based, starvation-based, medicinal, etc). But then got lost in several side-trips into topics like the Inquisition without a strong enough link to the main topic (cannibalism) to justify the tangents.
I wouldn't agree with the 'complete history' in the title--the tangents muddled and diluted the main topic too much for that, leaving a more shallow examination of cannibalism than the title suggests, and some assertions could have used more backup--but a decent general overview of human cannibalism, if don't mind skimming a bit.

[Sarah Hoov · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot one of the first ones I read on cannibalism. It's an excellent book if you are looking for an introduction on cannibalism, and aren't sure what it is about cannibalism that intrigues you. It goes through various aspects, cultural, psychological, culinary,motives, anthropologic, religious, historical etc... Just scratches the surface of each aspect. If your looking for something particularly gruesome I wouldn't suggest this book. The author presents the material in a way that desensitizes you to the horror that is cannibalism. so that you can concentrate on the anthropologic aspects. Which yay if you dislike gruesome macabre aspect of reading about eating human flesh. I personally like the macabre and twisted. This book just opened a giant door that has me still finding books in depth about specific instances of cannibalism. I recommend this too all of my friends and family. who have an interest in the macabre taboos but just can't stomach it.

[Carrie Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought a book about cannibalism would be so entertaining, dramatic, thought-provoking and surprisingly funny! Travis-Henikoff has a conversational, fluid writing style. She weaves together the contemporary and historical horrors of starvation and war that have lead many to resort to cannibalism and anthropological findings of cannibalism practiced for religious purposes. Her references are vast--there are first-hand accounts, archaeological findings, ancient texts and more recent ethnographies. There were extremely troubling graphic descriptions of Aztec rituals and more recent cannibalistic atrocities in the DRC, but it is important to be educated about the extremes in human behavior. Dinner With a Cannibal: The Complete History of Mankind's Oldest Taboo ended up leading me to a dozen more anthropology books I have to read!

[E Anders · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never knew how many animal species are cannibals. Or people, for that matter. I also didn't know that the brain very good for you!

The book is a mix between very dry, almost narrative and occasionally funny. I read it mostly for research and got a lot out of it. Not for everyone, very anthropology text book at times, and I found myself getting a little bored in the last few chapters. Plus, it seemed to have a thesis, which while I understand the need, I didn't find it that interesting. I liked the insight into cannabilistic societies more than the reasons everyone would be cannibal if our parents were cannibals (even though the arguement is sound and well developed).

Fun read over all, but a little graphic at times, so if you're squemish about...cannibalism haha, it might not be a good fit.

[China · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. I found that sometimes she rambled on a bit about things that weren't really applicable to the topic at hand. When she did talk about the cannibalistic nature of different societies and cultures it was really interesting. However, lots of babbling about random things did occur. I don't think this was a complete history; I think more research should have been done. I am not saying this book was awful... it was a really good read... but I think there could have been more information about the taboo itself. I understand that background information is needed in some cases, but I found there was TOO MUCH background information. I am into anthropology and social taboo so I thought it was a good read. Not the best & not the worst; definitely worth a read.

[Laurie-Ann Curry · Rating 3 out of 5]

DWAC is a decent read, Travus-Henikoff has a macrabre sense of humor (which I love)and it works with well with her subject manner. Written by an experienced anthropologist, I've been looking forward to reading DWAC since it was released and was somewhat disappointed as I felt the book flattens out. For me, as an anthroplogist especially, the take home message is humans white wash thier past; for years I have thought cannibalism was far more widely practiced than most will admit. To be fair, I read this after an intense 6 month gig and was home for the holiday's for the first time in four years so I may have been to tired to truly appreciate the book.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected, but it was still I found it very entertaining and informative. I loved the random tidbits of history and anthropology. The writing was very haphazard and unedited. The book didn't feel like a cohesive whole but more like a lot of random chapters all contained in the same binding. The author repeated a lot of things in chapters that she had said in previous chapters. The book was not all about cannibalism either but went on some interesting tangents that had seemingly nothing to do with cannibalism. Altogether though this was a really fascinating read.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good bits and information, especially for any writers wanting to stick a cannibal or two into their stories. However, the illustrations (such as they were) were distracting and the author does frequently wander off topic. Best bit that still sticks in my mind: One of the plane crash survivors in the Andes ages ago had constipation for 35 days due to eating nothing but human meat and melted snow water.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't actually finish this book (I almost never finish nonfiction) but I did enjoy what I got around to reading! "I learned" about the German cannibalistic serial killer Fritz Haarmann and that in the original Brother's Grimm version of "Snow White," the Prince is married to someone else when he finds Snow White and rapes her.

[Alison Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be my favorite book of all time. It is definitely a top novel in my opinion and should be required reading for all high school students. The ideas broached within this novel are brilliantly composed and supported. I cannot support this book enough. Honestly. Just read it. I can almost 100% guarantee that it will fascinate you at the very least.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history of cannibalism, though the author's writing style is really amateur- she's all over the place, and not as factual as I'd like, highly anecdotal. Still, goes well with my current favorite show, Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods.