Mary Lindsay Elmendorf (1917-2017) was an American applied anthropologist, recognized mainly for her work with the Mayan women of Mexico and her application of anthropology in consultation with technology.

[1] Her early work involved rural south and the slums of Boston and New Haven as well as in the Putney School in Vermont and Mexico.

[1] Based on her work and application of anthropology, she aided at the United Nations Conferences on Women held in Mexico, Copenhagen, Nairobi, and Beijing.

[15] The rest of the book is a broader reflection of the preceding vignettes interwoven with mentions and attribution of other sources that relate to Mayan communities and culture.

[14] In studying these aspects, she was able to see the Mayan women are happy and content with their lives and appear to value work as they also share a mutual respect with their husbands.