Book 2 Post 2

 The book I chose was “The Wayfinders” by Wade Davis. I chose this book because over quarantine I became infatuated with the show “Survivor” and when I read the description of the book, I recognized maybe of the locations from various seasons of the show. I was also hoping to get a deeper look into the culture and history of those places that I did not get to see on the show. I was also hoping to read about the author's really amazing journeys around the world and first person experiences with these cultures. 

When I started reading the book I was surprised with the science lesson it began with, discussing genetics and the loss of native language. While this was not what I was expecting, it made more sense as I continued to read because it gave context. I also was expecting more first hand experience and stories, but it seemed to be more focused on the history of the places he visited. While I felt like it was boring in some parts, it was also interesting to learn about things I did not previously know. One of the places I have seen on Survivor was the Cook Islands and I was very intrigued to learn that they, along with most of the other islands, were named after explorers. 

What really spoke to me and made me understand why Davis had written this book and what he was looking to accomplish came from a quote at the end of the first chapter. It said “ There is a flame burning over the earth, taking with it plants and animals, ancient skills and visionary wisdom. at risk is a vast archive of knowledge and expertise, a catalog of imagination, an oral and written language composed of memories of countless elders and healers, warriors, farmers, fisherman, midwives, poets, and saints - in short, the artistic, intellectual, and spiritual expression of the full complexity and diversity of the human experience” (Davis, 34). 

I also really enjoyed learning about his first hand experience onboard the Hokule’a and hearing about the intense schedule and navigational skills the people must possess to cross the ocean on that boat. I also thought it was really interesting to learn about the sailing mentor and the way he would sit in the ocean for hours at a time just to get used to the ebbing and flowing of the water. 

Overall, I thought it was an interesting read, however slow at some points, I am glad that I learned some new things.