The book deals with a detailed account of plants and animals used by the Negrito and Mongoloid tribals of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in their routine life for food, shelter, dugout canoe making, toboos, rituals and medicines. The general features of the islands (climate, natural ecosystems and the people-both the settlers and the aborigines) have been given. The book also traces the history of origin and affinities of the aborigines, their language, physical characteristics, demographic features, settlements and housing, dress and adornments, weapons and food collecting implements, utensils, dugout canoe making, behaviour, food and dwellings, family and kinship relations, superstitions and tatoos, legends and mythology and life rituals. The Nicobarese are most advanced among all tribals and have adopted a distinct life style. Through this work, several unknown or lesser known uses of plants and other valuable information about the conservation ethics of the tribals have been brought to light. The studies may bridge the gap between conventional botany and medicinal aspects of plants by evaluating chemical principles and pharmaceutical investigations of these putative herbal medicines. The work is more important in the light that some of the Andamanese populations are facing the extinction. The renowned Scientist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan has written the foreword for the book.
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