Book 2 Post 2
I chose to read The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World by Wade Davis. Among the list of choices, this book intrigued me the most based on the description. I previously took an Intro to Anthropology course and found learning about ancient cultures to be super interesting. We studied the cultures of the Yanomamo, the Dobe Ju/'hoansi, and the Ancient Egyptians. However, since then, I have not really explored other cultures like these, and reading this book gives me a great opportunity to do so.
What stood out to me early on in the book was the discussion around the death of ancient languages. Davis drops the astonishing fact that ancient languages are dying at an alarming rate of roughly every two weeks and will not be passed down to the next generation. This means that in a generation or two, there will be a loss of “nearly half of the social, cultural, and intellectual legacy,” according to Davis.
The part of the book I found most interesting was about the sailors of Polynesia. It was pretty incredible to learn how they were able to travel such vast distances in the open sea without the use of even a compass and navigated the waters by memory and dead reckoning. Davis mentions that they were also doing this at a time when Europeans would only travel along continental coastlines because of fear of the hazards of the open ocean. The author also got to experience a training mission on an ancient Polynesian canoe replica with Nianoa Thompson and his crew, who still practice the navigation techniques of their Polynesian ancestors.
A major takeaway from the book that Davis emphasizes is that despite coming from different cultures and time periods, there are commonalities that all humans share. One example he gives is the desire for adventure and exploration, which is what he believes drove the Polynesian to set sail. This desire is one that can be applied today, with space exploration, for instance.
The book's only drawback for me was its somewhat dense writing style, which was unfortunate considering all the interesting content it contains. I'm not sure if others felt the same way, but I found it made the reading experience a bit more challenging.
Hey Winston,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post about the book that you read. Polynesia has always been an interest to me because of how they're culture relies on the traveling aspect. It is super cool to hear about the complexity of their navigational practices. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Winston! I wanted to drop a comment on your post because I really thought it was interesting. I used to hate studying history and anthropology when I was younger, but like you, after taking the class I too started to become drawn to the field and their studies. Based on you description of the book, I think that such seems like it would be a very insightful read that introduces you to significant concepts from our historic world. I also would have to agree with the author about inherent human nature and how that is essentially rooted in all of us which binds us. Overall great commentary on the book.
ReplyDeleteHi Winston, I really enjoyed reading your post. I was surprised to hear that ancient languages are dying out roughly every two weeks! I also liked the point you included about how all humans have many things in common. After reading your post, it sounds like a book that I would really enjoy -- however I appreciate the honesty about the dense writing format, because that would also deter me.
ReplyDeleteHi Winston! I really enjoyed reading your post. I thought it was cool that you were inspired to choose this book because of a class you previously took. I have been studying the history of Mexico in my other English class this semester and have similarly found ancient cultures to be very interesting. From your post, I was surprised to hear just how quickly languages are being lost even now.
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