Hill Farms and Padi Fields: Life in Mainland Southeast Asia

Hill Farms and Padi Fields portrays the peoples of Southeast Asia their long, rich history and their ways of life today. Exploring the cultures of these peoples, the author, Robbins Burling, considers their varied ideas of family and community; their religions and economics; and, their languages, moral codes and social outlooks. In informal, yet informative, style, this book brings out the contrast between hill and plains peoples; the Chinese and Indian influence which stimulated Southeast Asian Civilization; and the conflicts between immigrant and native-born. These forces have not only directed the region’s history, but continue to shape modern day Southeast Asia.