2 comments about 100 Hikes in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Second Edition.

1. You don't have to just hike the Appalacian trail if you visit the Smokey Mountain National Park....and this book proves it. Packed with information about the parks and it's trails and non-trail hiking, it's a good book to pack for that vacation you are taking to the area. For day hikes, overnight hikes, or thru hikes of the area, this is a good resource.



2. I love this book as well as the other Russ Manning guide books. Although I try to keep books in great shape this one is so well used that it is dog-eared, written in, and just generally bent from all of the backpacking it has done. I rely on the guide book to get me to new heights in the Smokies. Russ Manning does a great description with the maps and with the hikes. And I know that he keeps up with the changes in the terrain since I have met him on one of my hikes in the Smokies.

5 comments about Andean Awakening: An Inca Guide to Mystical Peru.

1. My husband and I had the incredible honor of meeting and traveling with Jorge Luis Delgado in Peru a few weeks prior to the release of this book. We went to Peru to visit the sacred sites and were blessed with Jorge as our local guide. We had no idea beforehand!
   
   Jorge is authentic, warm and caring individual who treats people as extended family members. He is also a virtual encyclopedia of knowledge on the mystical and sacred of Peru and an excellent teacher. Reading this was like being there with him again, in all the splendor and radiance of the magic of Peru that Jorge truly embodies as a person and beloved shaman. Jorge 'lives Peru'--he doesn't just study the teachings and the history and report--and he shares his wisdom beautifully in this book.



2. Through this book Jorge and MaryAnn lead you on an unforgettable journey throughout Peru's Sacred Valley including Machu Picchu , Cuzco and Lake Titicaca. Jorge's teachings of Incan traditions, rituals and ceremonies allow the reader to feel connected with Pachamama (Mother Earth), the Sacred Apu (Mountain Spirits) and the Peruvian People. He speaks of the spirit world and one's connection to it through their authentic self. This book makes you want to board the nearest plane and travel to Peru to experience such a powerful and special place!



3. "Andean Awakening: An Inca Guide To Mystical Peru" by Jorge Luis Delgado a modern descendent of the ancient Incas) presents (with the assistance of MaryAnn Male) an illustrated guidebook to Peru's mystical and spiritual Incan heritage. This 'spiritual tour guide' takes the reader to the most powerfully spiritual places in Peru including Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca, and most especially, the legendary Inca doorway of Aramu Muru. A welcome, illustrated, and highly recommended addition to Metaphysical Studies reference collections in general, and Peruvian Studies reading lists in particular, "Andean Awakening" is enhanced with the history, culture, mythos and magic of the old Incan empire, inspiring places and enduring legacies left by the 'Children of the Sun' that are still accessible to visitors today.



4. I had the honour and pleasure of travelling with Jorge Luis Delgado this past May. It was with much anticipation I awaited to purchase my copy of this amazing shamans book. The Andean Awakening is a most pure reflection of mystical Peru narrated by Jorge. As the images of my travels fade I need only open the pages of this book to bring the stories and places alive again. He is a gifted shaman, teacher and narrater. He is a true Chacana - bridging the north and the south. I would recommend to anyone in search of spritt in Mystical Peru.



5. I liked this book very much because it is the first book I read about a person with actual Inca blood figuring out more about the tradition. It is a refreshing departure from all these stories about sheltered Americans who venture out into the unknown world of them scary Indigenous people because of this or that. But like many stories about people connecting with something different, I felt that the book didn't really speak to me. I enjoyed learning more about the Inca traditions, since I myself am part Inca, but there was something missing. Could it be because the author makes a living bringing tourists to the same locations he talks about in the book? Not sure. I do think that he is honest in his spirituality and wishes to share it with the world, and since he has experience with tourism, well.... But I was hoping that the book would not be so much another story of personal discovery, but that in reality it would be the Guide To Mystical Peru the title offered.
   
   The book is well written, and the story interesting and compelling. The author vividly and accurately describes the areas in a very enticing manner. This is why I am giving it 3 stars. I liked very much learning more about the Lake Titicaca area, and thanks to this book I now hope to visit the region. Maybe some of you would rate it higher. But this book was not what I was hoping for when I bought it.

4 comments about Machu Picchu.

1. Whether or not you ever visit, or think you might want to visit Machu Picchu, I highly recommend this gorgeous book to you. The combination of its poetry, photography, and design wonderfully connect us to a distant and mysterious culture which we understand little about today.

   Machu Picchu, hidden high in the Andes, was never found by Pizarro and his conquistadors. The city was rediscovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. Recently, landslides have made entry much more difficult, and the whole area is at risk to being lost. Should that occur, this wonderful volume will serve as a fitting tribute.

   Other than the fact that the rocks themselves were considered sacred, we know little about the purpose of Machu Picchu. Clearly, it was very important to the Incas. Otherwise, no one would have put such an enormous effort into creating a city among the clouds, carved out of solid rock. Because some walls have holes cut in them that allow light into certain interior spaces only on one day a year, it is thought that the area, in part, served an astronomical purpose.

   The Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, created an emotional poem called "The Heights of Machu Picchu" in which he captured our connection to the thousands who lived and toiled to make Machu Picchu . . . and are no more. In 1984, photographer Barry Brukoff hiked in over the original Inca road, to capture the scene with Neruda's poem in his backpack. The result of this trip are the remarkable, spiritual photographs in this book. You will feel like you have been there, will identify with what you see, and will make closer contact through Neruda's poem:

   "True being was threshed like kernels of corn in the inexhaustible/granary of lost deeds, of memorable efforts . . . ."

   "In you, like two parallel lines,/the cradle of lightning and humanity/rocking together in a thorny wind."

   " . . . [Y]ou imploded as in a single autumn/into a single death."

   "Today the empty air no longer weeps . . . ."

   "The dead kingdom lives on."

   "Stone upon stone, and man, where was he?"

   "Give me back the slaves you buried!"

   "Come up, brother, and be born with me."

   " . . . [A]nd let my tears flow, hours, days, years,/through sightless ages, starry Autumn."

   If you can read Spanish, the poem is published in both languages, side by side.

   The photographs make great use of the high mountain air, changing weather conditions, and the differing light of day and night. Brukoff has also created some very stylish effects with filters and tints, in addition to breathtaking color. Many photographers are good at duotone or color, but few are masters of both. Brukoff is the rare example of this dual skill. A nice tough is the way that the book is bound in linen, and there is a rough edging to frame each image . . . to give the book an almost scrapbook-like feel. The photographic reproductions are superb and well worth the price of the book.

   My favorite images included: Morning Sun and Fog; The Temple of the Moon; The Grand Rock Shrine (two views); Royal Mausoleum beneath the Torreon; Central Plaza through Three Windows Wall (first version); Sacred Plaza; Central Plaza and Fog; Agricultural Terrace; The Inti Huatana; The Condor Stone; View of the Inti Huatana Area -- Sacred Rocks Echoing the Mountains to the East; A Stone Ring; Machu Picchu at Sunset; and The Watchman's Hut at Dawn (cover image).

   The book also has a helpful prologue by Ms. Isabel Allende which sets the scene for the book's contents.

   The feeling of connection to the Incas, to the mountains, and to the sky are strong here. I felt a calmness fill my mind and heart as I caressed each part of the poem and each image with my eyes.

   What great things we can accomplish . . . when we have a mighty purpose and connect to our sense of beauty!




2. Barry Brukoff has done a truly fine job of capturing the essence of Machu Picchu. I've told many that you cannot convey the feeling of this place in photos, but Brukoff proves that you can. His photos made me feel as though I was back there, discovering the majesty of the site and indulging in a leisurely and personal exploration of the details that delighted me during my visit, details that those on quick tourist jaunts usually miss. Visually, this book is five stars. Neruda's poetry, however, missed the mark for me. An earlier reviewer picked out the best of it and included those lines in his review (see below). I only wish it all worked that well. Personally, I would have preferred excerpts from Neruda's work and excerpts from the writings of Hiram Bingham (Bingham was the man who discovered the site in 1911).



3. Purchased this book after just getting back from our first trip to Peru and Machu Picchu. Wonderful photographs. Pablo Neruda's poem, "Heights of Machu Picchu", helped to bring even more meaning to our Machu Picchu's memories. This text is a wonderful way to enhance your experience of actually being at Machu Picchu. It also makes a great coffee table item.



4. This book about Machu Picchu in Peru is not a guide for tourists. It is a work of art drawn from the talents of two men who visited Machu Picchu many years apart. Specifically, it is an integrated collection of exceptional photographs of the site by Barry Brukoff combined with the eloquent poetry of Pablo Neruda, the Nobel Prize winning poet from Peru, based on his visit to Machu Picchu 50 years before that of the photographer. For readers who do not know Spanish, the language of the original poetry, there is an excellent accompanying translation into English. That is also true of a beautiful introduction by Isabel Allende, the famous Peruvian author. If you have never visited this site, the book will still be very interesting. If you have, the book will take you back to the deepest feelings and impressions you had when you did so.

5 comments about Trekking in Nepal: A Traveler's Guide (Trekking In...).

1. This is the most fantastic travel guide I've ever used and the only one you will need in Nepal. Bezruchka's love and respect for the Nepali people is evident in every line and will enhance your journey to Nepal as well. We followed his advice and had a much richer experience for it. We watched other tourists who didn't follow his advice being laughed at and ignored. The language book and tape that you can order were incredibly helpful, way better than any dictionary. We were able to converse competently which made a huge difference in our experience. Don't bother with the Lonely Planet guide, which just tells you how to get through the country as cheaply as possible. There is so much more to experiencing Nepal than saving a buck here and buck there.



2. Stephen Bezruchka has prepared a valuable and complete guide to trekking in the Nepal / Everest region. The book offers practical advise from years of personal experience for anyone thinking about a trip to the area. Bezruchka also creates a much needed ecological awareness and offers substantial insight into the culture of Nepal. The book is much more than a travel guide and just plain interesting. I don't often give books five stars, but this work was beyond my highest expectations - a labor of love. Highly recommended!



3. This is the book that first opened my eyes to Nepal and its culture. It's much more than a guidebook: it has a sensitivity and compassion for its subject that is almost unique in the field of travel writing. It doesn't coddle you with if-it's-day-three-this-must-be-Namche route descriptions, but lets you find your own adventure and gain profound insights along the way. It also has an extensive medical section.



4. Fifteen years ago I started my trekking company's operation in Nepal with information from this book! The trek descriptions and the information on organizing a trek offer all the nuts and bolts. The background information is fascinating as are Dr. Bezruchka's views on poverty and culture shock.



5. While the completeness of Bezruchka's guide cannot be faulted the tone and style certainly don't compare to Jamie McGuinness's book on the same topic. In comparison this book was quite a chore to read especially since it is peppered with sermons on globalization. An extremely capable guide but there are good alternatives you may find more enjoyable.

5 comments about Travellers' Wildlife Guides Peru (Travellers' Wildlife Guides).

1. The "Traveller's [sic.] Wildlife Guides" are designed for travelers who desire more background on a country's flora and fauna than one can typically glean from a national park brochure or even a good guide. The main strength of these guides is their relatively low price. Illustrated field guides for exotic destinations can easily cost over $60. These guides, by comparison, are a steal at just under $20. The main weakness is that they are not comprehensive. They provide information and illustrations for common birds, reptiles, mammals, and insects, but not for exotic species. Hence, serious birdwatchers will also need to purchase James F. Clements and Noam Shany's "A Field Guide to the Birds of Peru."
   
   In every other sense, however, the Pearson guide is marvelous. The introductory chapters on Peru's ecotourism business, its geography and habitats, parks and reserves, and ecology and natural history are extremely well-written and highly informative. The second half of book is a field guide with pictures on one page and descriptions on the adjacent page. The descriptions are brief and to the point. They also contain symbols for the habitat types each species prefers. For common bird identification, I found this guide to be much easier to use in the field than the Clements and Shany guide, which provides pictures in one part of the book and descriptions in another. This book worked well as a companion to Clements and Shany because it enabled me to focus on common birds first and if I could not find my bird in the Pearson list, I then cracked open the Clements and Shany guide.
   
   In addition to the Peru guide, Interlink Books also publishes "Traveller's Wildlife Guides" for Australia, Costa Rica, Belize and Northern Guatemala, Brazil, and Ecuador and the Galapagos.



2. This book is an excellent intro primer for the ecotraveler. Its wildlife focus is mainly amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammalsts. Insects, fish, and plants get some mention. The book's country overview and its major habitat type descriptions, illustrations, and explanations are clear and useful as are the species photos and info. Thoughtful comments and info on conservation issues and ecotourism are included.



3. Our Peruvian guide (who had been in the business for about 20 years) saw this book and salivated so much that we gave it to him at the end of our trip. Very complete, very well organized, pictures were wonderful. Great help in identifying species. Another guide said it was the bible of Peru Wildlife.



4. Used this on our trip to Peru and it was the envy of our very knowledgeable tour guide. We ended up buying him a copy as a gift.



5. Excellent book,well presented, beautifully illustrated, full of good factual information enabling the traveller to pick and choose areas of interest in this totally amazing country.

4 comments about Brazil: Amazon And Pantanal (Travellers' Wildlife Guides).

1. I used this book for a recent trip to Brazil's Pantanal. The book is specific to only two geographic areas: The Pantanal and the Amazon, admittedly, Brazil's biggest natural draws. However, since the Pantanal and the Atlantic rainforest were my destinations, the book's usefulness was only partially utilized. Also, it is a heavy volume, and when considered with the other guidebooks I packed and used for cross-referencing, this book was by far the heftiest.

   The book does fill a unique niche, that of ecology and natural history guide to these two unique wild places. No other book that is easily carried provides as much enjoyable natural history reading on the Amazon and Pantanal. The illustration plates are uniformly excellent, but it is not noted whether species occur outside of the Pantanal and Amazon. Many species do occur outside, as I quickly found out. Eliminating the rest of Brazil all together just seems a bit restricting. An average traveller to Brazil is most likely to make a stop in Rio de Janeiro, perhaps visit the easily accessible Parque National de Tijuca, and wonder if what they're seeing is that similar looking bird in their book.

   Brazil is a big country, and no guidebook has yet to cover all its flora and fauna in one volume, in English, and travel-sized. This guidebook attempts to cover at least the animals and birds of Brazil's largest natural treasures, and succeeds for the most part. Given its quality of illustrations and plates, written descriptions of behavior, ecology and geography, this book is a good when used in conjunction with other bird and mammal guides.




2. This book attempts to cover the whole gamut of wildlife for the Amazon basin and Pananal. It can't do it; no book can. It did make an admirable attempt and as such is a great book for the tourist traveling to the area. On a recent trip north of Manaus, it covered 98% of the bird life. It is concise enough that the occaisional bird wathcer will be able to identify most birds. It is not quite as adequate for other species- fish are very superficial, as are reptiles. I would like to see these expanded. This is a terrific guide for the tourist- concise, adequately complete, and easy to use.



3. My wife bought this book for me for our recent trip to Brazil, including the Pantanal and southern Amazon. The book is excellent on some points, and severely lacking on others.
   
   Since this book covers the gamut from insects to birds to reptiles to amphibians to mammals, I knew right from the start that it would have a very limited usefullness in terms of identifying individual species that we were seeing, and I was right. I was travelling with a couple of friends who are wildlife biologists. They too had the book. We all stopped carrying the book when we were out because it wasn't worth the weight in our packs. There are simply far too many species left out of this book for it to be useful as a field guide. With so many species, many of which look quite a bit alike, you will very rarely be certain that the animal you just saw is exactly the one in the book. For those who find it important to know exactly what you just saw, this book is not for you. If you can find it, Aves Brasiliera (All the Birds of Brazil) is a much better choice, IF you can find it. Our guide at the All the Birds of Brazil book, and it was far better, though obviously only covered a narrower topic than this book.
   
   Now for the good. Before the trip, I read this book cover to cover, which is very unusual for me for "field guides". I found the book to be very well written, with good (though sometimes rather general, as I would expect) information about the ecology of the two regions, as well as general information about the species covered. Since Brazil contains many species that are vastly different than what I normally see in North America, I found the guide to be an excellent introduction for my trip, and though I only used it to identify individual species several times, I found that my detailed reading of it before the trip often useful in at least narrowing a bird down to type. So I could look at something and say, "Oh, that's a manakin of some kind." Beyond that, I relied on our EXCELLENT guide and his extensive knowledge or his birds of Brazil book.
   
   To illustrate the above, this book contains (by quick count) plates and descriptions for 187 birds. During the nearly three weeks I was there, I saw 257 different species of birds, and I didn't see, and there are a lot of birds in the book that I didn't see. It's easy to do the math and figure out that the book is not good for (nor is it designed for) identification, per se.
   
   So my recommendation: If you traveling to Brazil and don't already know a huge amount about the region, buy this book, read it before you go, maybe even take it with you as an evening reference, but for identifying individual species, you're better off using the knowledge of an experienced guide.
   
   Oh, one other minor gripe. Despite the generally very high quality of the physical book itself, the humidity in Brazil appears to have accelerated the deterioration of the book. One would think that for a book designed to be taken to a wet climate, more care would have gone into making it withstand that climate. Maybe I just got a bad copy though.
   
   So despite the short-comings of the book, which are largely by design, I give this book 4 stars. It is well done.



4. Given the length of this book, it is a superb guide to the wildlife and plants that one might see in the Amazon river basin. The discussion of the natural history of the various plants and animals is fascinating and extremely well written. I read the entire book at one sitting. It would have been nice if the plates were at the same place as the description but that would have had its drawbacks as well. The authors make it clear that the plants and animals discussed here are only the tip of the iceberg and only the most common or most interesting (like the bushmaster)but it is certainly a good start and a field guide that can easily be carried. The animals discussed start with the insects and go on up to mammals. The plates describe the animals and give the ranges. This is more than just a field guide because of the wonderful discussion of the biology of the fascinating creatures that live in the Amazon river basin. In fact, persons who expect to see just a listing of animals with plates of images will be disappointed. Those that want to know something about the natural history of the Amazon will be well pleased with this book.

No comments about Argentina (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

3 comments about The Rough Guide to Ecuador - Edition 3.

1. We have just returned from a month in Ecuador and found the new Rough Guide invaluable. Each chapter is clearly laid out and gives an accurate summary of regional highlights. It definitely made our trip planning and travel much easier. Ecuador is an amazing Andean country, with rainforests, tropical pacific coastline, high active volcanoes and the Galapagos Islands.

   The Rough Guide provided us with essential information on how to travel and tips on safety and health proved very helpful.

   Thanks also to the authors for including information on the damage being done to Ecuador's pristine rainforest and indigenous communities by a few oil companies. This is something that senstive tourists need to be aware of - the rare and fascinating tribal communities, the jungle wildlife and natural beauty we travelled to see are in real danger because of the actions of a few short term organisations who are right now planning a big push into the Oriente region.

   Overall this is a really good, clear guide book with excellent recommendations for where to stay, what to do and even good tips on where to eat, drink and party. Don't go up the jungle without it! Thanks from Carmel McConnell and Catherine Purkiss




2. I ordered this guide and the Lonely Planet Guide. I had previously toured Costa Rica using the Lonely Planet Guide and it worked out very well. This time I wanted to see if there was any additional information in the Rough Guide that would be helpfull. I have not yet gone to Eucador so I can not comment on the accuracy, but the detail in the Lonely Planet guide is much greater than that of the Lonely Planet Guide. Besides that it is much more compact. 440 pages vs 590. Basically Lonely Planet is more concise and more informative. If you are going to Ecuador and have room for one book, I recommend Lonely Planet rather than Rough Guide.



3. We just returned from visiting Ecuador for the first time. Between the four of us, we had several choices for guidebooks, but found The Rough Guide to Ecuador to be the most helpful when looking for a place to eat or to sleep. We'll only take this one if we go back!

5 comments about Tennessee Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. This is more than a book of maps. It lists state parks, campgrounds, places to canoe, etc. I think it works best when using another book in conjuction with it.



2. This Atlas, like all in the DeLorme series of Atlas & Gazetteer references, are wonderful map resources. A wealth of information is included. If anything, the level of detail, coupled with the topographic information, may seem a bit too much at first glace (if you are new to these guides). But if you're willing to spend a bit of time with the maps, you will find these guides to be very useful.
   
   In addition to the maps and the useful indexes and cross-references, these guides include listings or location sources for hiking, camping, fishing, recreation areas, unique natural features (waterfalls, bridges, caverns, natural areas, etc.), bicycle routes, horse trails, etc. And of course, GPS (Lat/Lon) coordinates are printed on each map.
   
   Although the scale of these maps demand it, it would be nice if the guide book dimensions were a bit smaller. At 11" x 15.5", it's a good size book, so it's not quite as easy to stow in the backpack or the motorcycle storage area, etc.
   
   Overall, these are excellent guides for any traveler or outdoor enthusiast.



3. This is not in as much detail as I expected and is just another map-I wish to return it-how do I do that ?



4. I am well satisfied with the service, however, the Gazetteer was dated 2004. Perhaps it hasn't been reissued since 2004.



5. GOOD SERVICE, GOOD PRODUCT, GOOD PRICE.
   
   GOOD = 5

5 comments about Tristes Tropiques.

1. One way to gauge who's in among fashionable academics is to read the catalog for the "Writers and Readers' Documentary Comic Book" series. Sartre has an entry, and so does Derrida, and Lacan. Thirty years ago, you would have expected to find an entry in this index for Claude Levi-Strauss. No more. Translations of his principal works appear to persist in print, but the sales numbers are look low, and he seems almost to have disappeared from the trendy book reviews and such. This is perhaps a matter for at least idle curiosity: Levi-Strauss is surely no more abstruse than his magisterial contemporaries - but no less so; one is perfectly willing to be relieved the obligation of ever picking him up again.

   With one exception. In style and temperament, Tristes Tropiques is so different from almost everything else Levi-Strauss wrote that it is hard to believe it is written by the same man. Oh, the primitive tribes are there, and a brief personal intellectual history, that offers a bow to Freud, and Bergeson, and Saussure. In my own copy, which I first read about 1980, I even have a pencilled notation "structuralism" - this at page 375 (Pocket Books edition, 1977). But there is almost none of the portentous vacuity that you had to cope with in the so-called "serious" works.

   What you get instead is Levi Strauss the raconteur, full of travelers' tales. He dines on roasted parrot, flamed with whisky. The termites make the earth rumble. Virgins are made to spit in pots of corn, to provoke fermentation - but "as the delicious drink, at once nutritious and refreshing, was consumed that very evening, the process of fermentation was not very advanced." You almost expect the anthropophagi and the men whose heads grow beneath their shoulders, that you meet in the Voyages of Sir John Mandeville, Knight.

   Laced through it all, you get a kind of austere sadness which is either (a) a tragic view of life; or (b) a kind of self-indulgent posturing, depending on your temperament for skepticism. "Every effort to understand," he says, "destroys the object studied in favor of another object of a different nature." Or: "Anthropology could with advantage be changed into 'entropology', as the name of the discipline concerned with the study of the highest manifestations of [a] process of disintegration."

   Well, call me anything the like, they say, as long as you call me for dinner. It might even be an elaborate con. But so, for that matter, might the stories of Herodotus were you get the same mix of the eclectic and the tolerant, the surreal and the sly. Herodotus, we may note, is one of the first great works of Western literature. Let's hope that Levi-Strauss is not one of the last.




2. This is Levi-Strauss most readable book, and it is a fantastic introduction to the "why" behind his interest in structuralism. There are hints of the various methods and approaches that he uses in later works, but this book shows why he was to develop structuralism in later works. The writing is clever and eloquent, and various conclusions he made about cultural diversity address contemporary concerns in a highly articulate and responsible manner. Read this book before delving into the other writings of one of the 20th Century's most important anthropologists.



3. Tristes Tropiques, surely one of the great books of the twentieth century, is Levi-Strauss at his intoxicating, idea-overloaded best and an elegy for a world that colonialism and then globalisation have doen their rational best to annihilate.
   
   Levi-Strauss, like most thinkers who come up with new ways of describing the world-- those who Richard Rorty calls "inventors of philosophical vocabularies"-- has of course been mis-read and his ideas mis-applied, as we see with the much-hyped "creation" and then "demise" of "structural anthropology." The real pleasure of this book, which mixes fascinating accounts of Levi-Strauss' travels in Brazil in the '30s with autobiography, and adds chapters on the Maya and ancient Hindu (Indian) civilisations, is in its sheer mass of artfully arranged detail and its endless, provocative play of ideas.
   
   Levi-Strauss stays conversational, descriptive and straightforward, avoiding academic jargon and obscure references. He assumes you know the basics about people like Freud, Marx, Darwin and the Buddha, and then shows you a trip through largely non-industrial societies which unfolds from anthropological description into deep philosophical speculation on the meaning of society and life.
   
   In Brazil, Levi-Strauss watches an illiterate but canny chieftain use his anthropological fieldnotes to intimidate his illiterate tribesmen subordinates, and speculates on the parallel origins of writing and slavery. In Matto Grosso, he meets a butcher fascinated with elephants, since "he could not imagine so much meat in one place." On the banks of the Amazon, a non-industrial tribe is dying, hypnotically lost in the symbolic intricacies of an ancient social system that makes its citizens inbreed. In India, Levi-Strauss watches Islam and Hinduism-- the "locker room" and "mother" religions-- wage symbolic and then real war post-Independence.
   
   The book starts as anthropology, turns into philosophy, and ultimately becomes a critique of the West, driven by "reason" and technology to shake off what Levi-Strauss calls the "thick blanket of dreams" with which non-industrial civilisation arranges the Universe into Meaning, which remains for the industrialised world the greatest and unanswered question.
   
   But Levi-Strauss does not idealise the primitive. His point is that through the study of those and that which are different, a kind of "ideal model" of society-- one which will never exist-- can be built in the imagination, and people can evaluate their world by reference to this community of mind.
   
   This is a remarkable book-- easy to read, engrossing, and endlessly thought-provoking.



4. I often review works which I have read long ago. Upon beginning to write about them I invariably discover how much time I gave to something which seemed so worthwhile at the time, and which I have almost completely forgotten. I then ordinarily do some catch- up learning about the book. And my review becomes an amalgalm of distant past and most recent present impression. And meanwhile the heart of the book is forever unknown to me and lost. And my review is only a minor tracing an impression both of the book itself and what of my mind knew when reading through it.
   This certainly applies to my reading of this particular work, ,the one work of Levi- Strauss which I remember reading with any degree of real understanding and pleasure. His making of a life and career as an anthropologist which are a good part of the first part of the work interested me then.
   The long travelogue and explorations into Amerindian society and mind, interested me less.
   I understand though that the real voyage is into and along with the mind of Levi- Strauss itself, a mind much more complicated than I was ordinarily used to meeting and ingesting .
   I do remember however the somewhat majestic tone, the tone of restrained sadness of quiet mourning which seemed to go through the work as Levi- Strauss met with worlds being lost and deterorating , in part through their meetings with the very kind of Western mind he himself exemplified. It is the mind destroying the object in the process of knowing it , as the Western explorers of these tribal societies transformed them out of their own natural state by meeting with them.
   For Levi- Strauss and this I remember, the ' primitive mind' is not ' primitive at all' and may be in its linguistic complexity and social structure far more intricate than the ' civilized ' as it were sophisticated worlds we believe we live in.
   I read this work as a way of being acquainted with a great mind, a mind which to my mind proved to be quite elusive and even distant.
   But clearly the exploration made by Levi- Strauss of his own inner and external worlds is one which calls to the curious human mind and heart in its quest for understanding ' of the other'
   Montaigne took a trip in the Brazilian jungle in the twentieth
   century, looked in the mirror and saw the face of Levi- Strauss.



5. I like to travel and to observe the cities, landscapes, the plants and animals and the human inhabitants of the countries I go to. So does Levy-Strauss, and he is a fantastic observer, much more sharp-eyed than I could ever hope to be, and a highly entertaining writer. In this classic he talks about a wide range of observations from a number of corners of the world, but mainly about South America.
   The book deals with Levi-Strauss' time as a teacher in Brazil and his trips into the South American hinterland; his escape from Nazi-occupied France; His later expeditions to visit remote tribes in the Amazon; and an assortment of observations about such diverse topics as the frustration of the traveler to never encounter the true, pristine state of a culture, the Indian caste system and the division of public and private space in different parts of the world. The book is full of fascinating anecdotes: My favorite one is how a native chief from observing Levy-Strauss grasped the social importance of writing, but not its role in information storage and transmission. He bluffed to impress his underlings and drew freshly invented line configurations on a paper. This leads Levy-Strauss to observe that from the invention of writing to its universal knowledge a few millennia passed, during which it did not serve to liberate the masses, but to control them. Such wide-ranging philosophical associations are frequent and were very enjoyable to me. The book is, however, definitely not only a collection of anecdotes, but in parts a very detailed description of the life of some of the native tribes he visited in the Amazon. Drawings of artifacts, patterns used in body-painting and photographs supplement the text. We are given both anthropological descriptions of the lifes of these peoples, their social organization, attitudes and material culture, as well as Levy-Strauss' personal experiences when living among them, sometimes his friendships with members of these tribes. Of course these people were strongly affected by the contact with European civilization, often to the worse. We also learn about these developments. There isn't really much direct explanation about his theoretical approaches to anthropology. This is the kind of book which made me wish that I could have been an expedition member of Levy-Strauss' team. Highly recommended.