Wade Davis has spent over three years in the Amazon and Andes as a plant explorer, and later went to Haiti to investigate folk preparations implicated in the creation of zombies. The Haiti assignment led to his writing The Serpent and the Rainbow (Simon and Schuster, 1986), an international bestseller that was later released as a feature motion picture. Among his other books are Nomads of the Dawn (Pomegranate Press, 1995), Passage of Darkness (University of North Carolina Press, 1988) and One River (Simon and Schuster, 1996).
Davis, who holds a Harvard Ph.D. in ethnobotany and degrees in biology and anthropology, is also a prolific writer (e.g., One River, LJ 7/96). His current work is an eclectic collection of essays, some previously published, dealing with topics that include hallucinogenic plants (of which he partakes), toad licking, disappearing rain forests, Haitian voudoun, and the elusive clouded leopard. While at first glance these may not seem related, an overall appreciation for native cultures and for the natural world is evident throughout. Davis is straightforward and clear but not quite spellbinding. Still, this enjoyable read takes the armchair traveler to places few have written about. Recommended for all travel collections.‘Kathleen A. Shanahan, American Univ. Lib., Washington, DC
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
