Despland (religion, Concordia U., Montreal) describes how French sociologist Roger Bastide (1898-1974) conducted a range of studies on the Afro-Brazilian religion that was vibrant in the northeast--especially Salvador de Bahia--while working at the University of São Paulo in Brazil. He also investigated the social and religious transformations from the conditions of the old plantations to new ones in the industrialized south. Thus he became a pioneer in what is now the thriving discipline that studies African religion in the Americas, and late in his career was able to mingle with fellow researchers back in Paris who had worked in post-colonial Africa. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)