I’ve read several of his other books and this was just as magnificent. Whether writing or speaking, the mans words are a pleasure to read or hear. The section on the peoples of the Pacific in particular is amazing. Early European explorers of course arrogantly assumed that they were “primitive.” Their navigational abilities, that they could spread out across a huge part of the globe via small boats, centuries, possibly even millennia before Europeans could have achieved such a feat, proves that to be a predictable mix of hubris and arrogance. I’m thrilled to learn that there are people striving to retain and teach others the knowledge to allow them to traverse a huge ocean by reading currents and the stars and signs of nature.
Sadly there are many skills, skills that took generations to acquire and hone, and that have been passed down through countless generations, that are either under threat of extinction, or have already been lost, often in a generation or two. Western civilization, and I use them term loosely, has much blame to bear for this deplorable state of affairs as it seeks to spread its mono-culture across the globe. These are skills that may well be crucial for the survival of humanity as a species in the decades and centuries to come.
Like all his other books, this one is very laudable, very readable, and very recommended. There is much about the human race that inspires despair and disgust. This book helps to remind us that we are also capable of inspiring awe and admiration.
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