Growing up in a Culture of Respect focuses on children in the remote Peruvian village of Chillihuani. Though poor in material goods, and living a marginal existence as subsistence herders and farmers in one of the most remote corners of the world, the Chillihuanis have a durable culture that stretches back to the days of the Inca, a society of mutual aid, sacred geography, and children who are inquisitive, cheerful, respectful, with none of the angst that characterizes Western adolescence.

Bolin chronicles a world based on mutual solidarity, and one where an independent childhood is almost erased. Children are included in the rituals of adult life as soon as they are able, helping out around the home, and being treated as full and active participants in the life of their families and the village. The demanding environment seems to foster a true strength of character.