The thrilling stories of the three pioneering English naturalists’ explorations and discoveries in the world’s richest ecosystem One hundred and fifty years ago; the young naturalists Alfred Wallace; Henry Walter Bates; and Richard Spruce were on a journey. Their destination; Amazonia―the world’s largest tropical forest with the greatest river system and richest ecosystem―was then an almost-undiscovered environment to Western explorers and scientists. In Naturalists in Paradise; Amazon expert John Hemming weaves the riveting stories of these three men’s experiences in the Amazon and assesses their valuable research that drastically changed our conception of the natural world. Each of the three naturalists is famous for a particular discovery: Wallace is credited; along with Charles Darwin; for developing the theory of evolution; Bates uncovered the phenomenon of protective mimicry among insects; and Spruce transported the quinine-bearing Cinchona tree to India; saving countless lives from malaria. Drawing on the letters and books of the three naturalists; Hemming reaches beyond the well-known narratives; offering unrivaled insight into the often lawless frontier life in South America as seen through the lives of the great pioneers of modern disciplines: anthropology; tribal linguistics; archaeology; and every branch of natural science. 70 illustrations; 20 in color
#702005 in Books Kennedy; David M. 2009-08-17Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.00 x 7.50l; 2.15 #File Name: 0495800015624 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Ok readBy STPicked up this book because I'm a fan of The Moth podcast and thought it's gotta be a good read if the host of the moth wrote it; right?Not really.Maybe it was just that I could never relate or even sympathize with the main character. He had a poor attitude and outlook on life. He reminded me of some people I know that are never happy and think that everyone and everything in this world are against them and don't realize the only person that's against them are themselves. I actually was rooting against this guy the whole time and hoping he would off himself so the story would be over. Though I'll admit I was a little happy for the guy at the end.Ultimately it was well written; but I hated the main character.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. America; examined.By John Howard MatthewsAmerican Spirit by Dan Kennedy is a clinical examination of a soul in crisis. Though I admired the many searing and sometimes poetic observations about American culture and quest for self-help; the bulk of the story is told at a cold distance that doesn’t inspire compassion toward Matthew’s plight. Kennedy has proved his talent for the humorous in Loser Goes First; but don’t go looking for hilarity here aside from a few choice passages such as when Matthew tries to understand millennials or teenage girls’ fascination with vampires. From an ugly and sometimes tedious first half; the book improves along the way and ultimately reaches a satisfying conclusion. The book is worth experiencing mainly for the occasional but gloriously caustic indictments of American culture.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A roller coaster; in both good and bad waysBy John J. FrancoI can see why this was a polarizing book. Imagine if The Catcher in the Rye was written today; by someone a little less talented than Salinger. American Spirit follows "Matthew" on a similarly destructive; profane and self-abusive journey.This book was a roller coaster... started out great; towards the middle I was seeing the point of all the bad reviewers; but redeemed itself a little bit at the end. The writing is definitely sprawling and aspirational; with lots of long sentences and pontificating; but most of the time it works.
