What influenced him? Were there certain conditions, could people move up and down the social ladder or were they stuck in one place? To be honest, before reading these books, I hadn't even heard of the word "reciprocity." It sounded like reciprocating and it meant responding or retaliating, so I assumed it had a similar meaning. However, I couldn't figure out what this had to do with the social order of the Sonqo or the Yanomamo people. It wasn't until I started reading the beginning of chapter two (Allen) that I realized what reciprocity meant to the Sonqo social order. What I've learned is that unless they have a reason to like you, like if you're family (by blood or marriage), they won't want anything to do with you. It's a lot of give and take. Unless you have something to offer them, they have no use for you. This is how their social order works. If you are further down the poverty line and have nothing to offer others, how can you move up in your social ranking? In reality, this all really makes sense and functions similarly to our own social caste system in the United States. Wealthier people are more appreciated by others because they have more to offer. Whether it's lavish gifts, better meals, or just being seen with them makes you look better, people are attracted to it. Allen