Since our first primordial breath, wind has been a central theme of cultural thought. Wind in its different guises - from the 'natural phenomenon' of air in motion, to embodied 'life giving' experiences and deities and spirits - has contributed to the richness of human ideas and practices from ancient cultures to this very day. Through a series of thought-provoking articles, Wind, Life, Health: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives examines people's intimate relationships with the wind. Seeking a balance between detailed ethnography and broad theoretical insights, the editors have gathered a diverse group of contributors whose works illustrate the similar patterns of human/wind relationships across cultures - hunters and gatherers in the polar regions, inhabitants of the Malaysian rain forest, Andaman Islands, ancient India, China, Greece, Muslim East Africa, Victorian England, and mountain-dwelling Swiss. We discover how people through history have grappled - physically and conceptually - with winds and spirits, and how it affected their practice. Like a breath of fresh air, this pioneering work will lead to a deeper understanding of the ways in which our experience of the wind has influenced our awareness and understanding of the world, and continues to shape our culture.