With his interdisciplinary approach and preference for evidence over supposition, Shepherd (anthropology, George Washington U.) succeeds well at describing how a popular weekend produce and flea market in Washington DC functions as a social institution according to its time, place and social relationships. He examines how those who buy, sell and supervise at the market regard the development of their space and how larger economics and social processes shape it, produce it and reproduce it. He describes the building of the market, the politics of its preservation and development across 30 years, its order and spatial discipline, the development of a vendor community, and the work of value and authenticity in a festive place. This would work well in urban planning, microeconomics, cultural studies, urban and economic anthropology and sociology classrooms as well as a source for professional inspiration. Annotation 2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
