Research Books

I've looked at many books about different people from around the world. I want to do my best to portray them in my stories. 

But there's something that's bugged me about them, and I finally realized what it was. Most of these books discuss different cultures in such a dry, distant way. It feels like they're reporting a different species. And it feels like they always miss the heart of the culture they're supposed to be studying. 

For example. I picked up what was essentially a small textbook about the American Indians of Yosemite. And it had tons of details about their clothes and their food and stuff. But there was absolutely nothing about what they were like as people.

How can "researchers" learn so much about a culture and then report on those people as if they were observing the rock-collection habits of penguins in Antarctica? I assume that it has to do with scientists being trained not to get attached to the things they study. 

But how can you ever hope to understand something if you only ever look at it coldly from the outside?

(Obligatory zoo photo)