In Indian Givers and Native Roots Weatherford wrote of the clash between Native American and European cultures; in Savages and Civilization he widens his scope to illuminate the global scale of ethnic strife as the indigenous peoples that are facing the loss of their cultural identities demonstrate a growing resistance to the global civilization that threatens to engulf them.

"Highly recommended...fascinating and insightful...[Savages and Civilization] goes beyond a description of existing cultures to illuminate, on a global scale, the struggle of these peoples against the loss of their cultural identity.... This book should serve as a 'wake-up' call to people everywhere."
--Library Journal