▁' Rel ig ious ▁Sciences ' ▁section ▁where ▁Marcel ▁M auss ▁was ▁previously ▁professor , ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁which ▁chair ▁he ▁renamed ▁" Com par ative ▁Religion ▁of ▁Non - Liter ate ▁Pe op les ". ▁ ▁While ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁was ▁well ▁known ▁in ▁academic ▁circles , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁he ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁France ' s ▁best ▁known ▁intellect uals ▁by ▁publishing ▁Tr istes ▁Trop iques ▁in ▁Paris ▁that ▁year ▁by ▁Pl on ▁( and ▁translated ▁into ▁English ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁published ▁by ▁P engu in ). ▁Ess entially , ▁this ▁book ▁was ▁a ▁mem oir ▁detail ing ▁his ▁time ▁as ▁a ▁French ▁exp atri ate ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁and ▁his ▁travel s . ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁combined ▁ex quis it ely ▁beautiful ▁pro se , ▁d azz ling ▁philosoph ical ▁med itation , ▁and ▁eth n ographic ▁analysis ▁of ▁the ▁Amazon ian ▁pe op les ▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁master pie ce . ▁The ▁organiz ers ▁of ▁the ▁Prix ▁Gon court , ▁for ▁instance , ▁l ament ed ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁able ▁to ▁award ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁the ▁prize ▁because ▁Tr istes ▁Trop iques ▁was ▁non f iction . ▁ ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁was ▁named ▁to ▁a ▁chair ▁in ▁social ▁anth rop ology ▁at ▁the ▁Coll ège ▁de ▁France ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁At ▁roughly ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁he ▁published ▁Struct ural