ritual?

I had the pleasure of meeting and seeing Dr Wade Davis speak nearly two weeks ago. His lecture literally opened up my sense of the world. He is an anthropologist/ ethnobotanist with a wealth of experiences and stories all told with a poetic elegance to be envied. His lecture was exciting and energizing, I want to do something with his knowledge. He said (roughly quoting) "Cultures are the answer to the question of what it is to be human." Beautiful words. And so appropriate for amassing a toolkit for good living... what and how can we learn from other cultures about human needs and how to fulfill them? I am beginning a journey to find out. First direction of interest is the role of ritual in various cultures. I am hoping to glean some tools that i can then appropriate for my western/contemporary needs.

I have started reading...
Ritual as Resource energy as vibrant Living by Michael Picucci
Myths to Live By by Joseph Campbell