Cover; Original Title Page; Title Page; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; Author's Foreword; I The Classification of Rites; II The Territorial Passage; III Individuals and Groups; IV Pregnancy and Childbirth; v Birth and Childhood; VI Initiation Rites; VII Betrothal and Marriage; VIII Funerals; IX Other Types of Rites of Passage; X Conclusions; Index.

Van Gennep was the first observer of human behaviour to note that the ritual ceremonies that accompany the landmarks of human life differ only in detail from one culture to another, and that they are in essence universal. Originally published in English in 1960. This edition reprints the paperback edition of 1977.