The tale of Paul Stoller's sojourn among sorcerors in the Republic of Niger is a story of growth and change, of mutual respect and understanding that will challenge all who read it to plunge deeply into an alien world.

Paul Stoller is professor of anthropology at West Chester University. He is also a research associate in the department of anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution. Cheryl Olkes is director of Harmattan, a gallery of African arts in Washington, D.C.