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This is an English-language translation of the culmination of the life work of Darcy Ribeiro, one of Brazil's leading 20th-century intellectuals, known both for his work in Indian affairs and for his political activism. First published as ""O Povo Brasiliero"" in 1995, two years before Ribeiro's death, it quickly became a controversial bestseller. Offering a sweeping overview of the ethnic, racial and social forces that shape Brazilian culture and society, the text presents an aesthetic of the Brazilian people as a whole. While the author dwells on the paradox of Brazil as a country of immense potential hindered by racial and class prejudice, he also describes it as ""the most beautiful and luminous province on Earth"". Translated by Gregory Rabassa, this version does justice to the original Portuguese text, with all its idiosyncrasies, intrinsic poetry, epic hyperbole and departure from contemporary US norms of political correctness. It should be useful to all interested in Latin American culture, anthropology, sociology and history, as well as in the theory of culture.