"This is a brilliant book. In fact, it is probably one of the best books ever written about the ancient Maya and certainly one of the most important. . . . The quality and originality of [McAnany's] work have given us a whole new context for consideration and laid the groundwork for a level of discussion unfamiliar to Maya archaeology. I look forward to the exciting dialogs this book will generate." --Journal of Field Archaeology "A much needed effort to pull together disparate information into a coherent model of ancient Maya society that, without ignoring the elite segment of society, gives due attention to people at the 'grass roots' without whose resources and labor the Maya elite could not have existed. It is thus a more holistic account of ancient Maya society than most. . . . This well-written book will repay reading by Mayanists and non-Mayanists alike." --American Anthropologist "A well-developed interpretation of Maya social organization based on the effective integration of diverse sets of data. This volume is a useful addition to the expanding literature on the role of ideology in the development and maintenance of ancient social stratification and centralized authority. [It] also contributes fresh perspectives to discussions of the importance of nonelite strata in Mesoamerican society and related topics, such as the economics of the pre-Hispanic household and the archaeology of domestic structures." --Journal of Anthropological Research