COMING-OF-AGE

Similarities among coming-of-age-rites (e.g., most cultures view the onset of menses as the passage into womanhood) and some striking differences (the Amazon's Yanomamis isolate girls during the first menstrual cycle; other peoples alter their appearance with facial piercing, hair cuts, body paints, etc.). Modern American teens will be fascinated by much of this, including the Mbuti pre-courtship ceremony wherein a girl chooses her betrothed by smacking him with a whip; the ``second'' circumcision (known as a subincision) of the Arunta of Australia; or the nasal operation that precedes placement of a decorative nose bone. In her globe-trotting coverage, Liptak weaves a multicultural sampling, concluding with a few customs found in industrialized nations, into a readable whole that will make a sound launching pad to research in greater depth. B&w photos; glossary; source notes; bibliography; index; (Nonfiction. 12+)