"fascinating little book adds to the study of culture to political economy" MacGaffey Journal of Anthropological Research "presents fascinating material on beliefs about money in some Luo-speaking communities of Kenya... an insightful analysis... a case that will generate fruitful discussions for years to come" Ferguson American Ethnologist BITTER MONEY unites symbolic and economic analysis in exploring the beliefs about forbidden exchanges among the Luo of Kenya and other African peoples. Shipton's multi-paradigmatic theoretical explanation briefly summarizes a century of anthropological thought about African exchange, while integrating ways of understanding rural African economy, politics, and culture.