Book excerpt: Textiles in Indian Ocean Societies considers the importance of trade, and the transformation of the meaning of objects has the move between different cultures. It also addresses issues of gender, ethnic and religious identity, and economic status. The book covers a broad geographic range from East Africa to Southeast Asia, and references a number of disciplines such as anthropology, art history and history. This volume is timely, as both the social sciences and historical studies have developed a new interest in material culture. Edited by a foremost expert in the region, it will add considerably to our understanding of historical and current societies in the Indian Ocean region.