Many of us might aspire to become "public intellectuals," standing side-by-side with Noam Chomsky (for those on the left) or Bill Bennett (for those on the right), using the national media to scourge the politicians, guide the journalists, and correct the wayward public. Unfortunately, few are willing to do the requisite heavy lifting, mastering the details of particular policy debates and cultivating contacts with the relevant players, as first steps on the road to this intellectual Valhalla. As the American Anthropological Association's Task Force on Public Policy commented in its January 1998 report: "Cultural ambivalence within AAA is demonstrated in anthropologists' failure to engage in public policy issues on the one hand, and, on the other hand, anthropologists' indignation at not being consulted on policy issues perceived as being related to anthropology."