The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern WorldMany of us are alarmed by the accelerating rates of extinction of plants and animals. But how many of us know that human cultures are going extinct at an even more shocking rate? While biologists estimate that 18 percent of mammals and 11 percent of birds are threatened, and botanists anticipate the loss of 8 percent of flora, anthropologists predict that fully 50 percent of the 7,000 languages spoken around the world today will disappear within our lifetimes. And languages are merely the canaries in the coal mine: what of the knowledge, stories, songs, and ways of seeing encoded in these voices? In The Wayfinders, Wade Davis offers a gripping and enlightening account of this urgent crisis. He leads us on a fascinating tour through a handful of indigenous cultures, describing the worldviews they represent and reminding us of the encroaching danger to humankind's survival should they vanish. |
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User Review - akbo - Overstock.comBought a book THE WAYFINDERS. Came in on schedule and the condition was as described. In perfect condition. Great book written by an modern day explorer. Service was A1. Thanks. Read full review
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User Review - Larxol - LibraryThingThis is a wide-ranging and interesting discussion by anthropologist Wade Davis on various cultures from all over the world and what they may be able to teach us before they are wiped out by the ... Read full review
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Aboriginal Africa Amazon anaconda ancestors ancient animals anthropologist Arctic Arhuacos Barasana Bernie Lucht canoe century civilization clan clouds coca Colombia culture Cusco desert Dreaming earth east elder entire European existence father forest Gaspar de Carvajal genetic Hokule’a horizon human hundred hunters hunting implied Inca Indians indigenous inspired Inuit island journey kilometres Kula Kula ring land language living Machu Picchu Makuna Malinowski maloca Massey Lectures metres million Mitú modern Mother mountain myth Nainoa Nainoa Thompson nation nature navigator never night nomadic ocean one’s Pacific Penan percent perhaps Piraparaná plants Polynesian Polynesian Voyaging Society Qaanaaq rain Rapa Nui reach realm Rendille Río ritual river Sacred Headwaters Sahara sail sand sense shaman Sinakara single social societies Songlines Spaniards species spirit square kilometres stars stone survive Theo Tibetan tion traditional trees valley voyage wayfinders Western wind women
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World Massey lectures series |
| Author | Wade Davis |
| Contributor | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Publisher | House of Anansi, 2009 |
| ISBN | 0887847668, 9780887847660 |
| Length | 262 pages |
| Subjects | › › Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural Social Science / Anthropology / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |