The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein Read Online Free PDF Page A

student friends of hers – turned out to be spectacular. Two stylized hands. One reaches up, the other down. Together they form the double-helix shape of a pot, the hand below the soil surrendering it to the hand above. But something more is passing between those hands. I named my shop Spirits in Clay.
    I know it sounds new-age and corny, but I couldn’t think of anything better at the time. Looking at Cantú’s first pot made me feel better about the name. There is a spiritual connection between the ancient potter and the modern one who finds her work. Of course I didn’t find this one. It came into my shop in a cardboard box. I didn’t own it and probably never would, alas.
    As I studied that pot, a thought popped into my mind. I could make two copies and keep one for myself! Or make three – one for Cantú, one to keep, and one to sell. Then I realized that I couldn’t do that with a clear conscience without getting Cantú’s permission, and I was certain he wouldn’t grant it.
    My code of ethics again.
    I reconciled myself to the fact I’d never own that piece by focusing on the bright side. I’d get to study it, handle it, and copy it. I might have lived my entire life without seeing it, but now it would be in my possession for fourteen days.
    In that regard, it was similar to my love life. I’ve been fortunate to be involved with a few women whose allure was even greater than ancient pottery, and I never got to keep one of them either.
    I wondered briefly if it was sexist to draw an analogy between a woman and an inanimate object. I decided it wasn’t because I didn’t mean it that way and went back to looking at the pot and thinking about its maker.
    The connection between the ancient potter and the contemporary one has nothing to do with tribe or ethnicity. We are not our bones, our flesh color, or our eye shape. We are what we do . Culture is behavioral, not biological. One good example is the anthropologist who “goes native,” who gets so wrapped up in the culture he’s studying that he actually becomes part of it. Permanently. Marries into it, adopts its language, dress, and customs. Burns his trousers and takes to wearing turtle shells on his knees.
    I have a list of beliefs I call Schuze’ Anthropological Premises, abbreviated SAP, which is what some of my cynical friends say you have to be to believe them. SAP number 1 is that any human being can practice any culture. If a Norwegian newborn were adopted by a couple in the Acoma Pueblo, that child would grow up to be exactly like all other Acoma children. He would look a bit out of place, but everything about him other than his blue eyes and fair skin would be pure Native American. He would not someday suddenly long for herring. He would not dream of being a ski jumper in the Olympics.
    He might someday wonder why he looked different. If his adoptive parents told him about his origins, it is possible that curiosity might drive him to Norway to learn about his ‘roots’. He might even decide to become Norwegian, to give up the culture of his upbringing and learn the culture of his biological parents. He could do that. Remember that SAP 1 says any human being can practice any culture. But he would have to learn to be Norwegian. It wouldn’t just spring forth from his DNA. It would be as difficult for him to learn to speak Norwegian as it would be for you to learn to speak it.
    Many people today don’t understand this. They adopt babies from China, bring them to the United States, put them in our public schools, and raise them like you would raise any other child in America. All well and good. Then they decide to give them Chinese lessons. Now learning another language is always a good thing. But why Chinese? Spanish would be more helpful here in America. Arabic is growing in importance. Italian is beautiful. Just because a child is of Chinese ethnicity does not mean she has to learn Chinese. Your culture and your language are determined by who