Notebooks from New Guinea: Field Notes of a Tropical Biologist - Hardcover

Novotny, Vojtech

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0199561656 ISBN 13: 9780199561650

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2009

Synopsis

Hailed by Edward O. Wilson as "one of the most amazing books I have ever read," this exhilarating volume offers a rare combination of first-rank science and top-notch storytelling. Vojtech Novotny, a world-class researcher and a brilliant writer, works on location in one of the toughest regions of the world--a high-risk locale rife with tropical diseases and venomous wildlife. Moreover, Novotny works closely with the indigenous peoples--natives who still hunt food with spear and arrow--involving them in his research and profiting from their deep familiarity with this rugged landscape. As a result, he has many a fascinating tale to tell, and he is a marvelous storyteller. Indeed, this is an unusual and fascinating collection of almost one hundred brief vignettes, adventurous tales, and reflections that illuminate the native culture and what the West can learn from it. Ably translated by David Short, this delightfully engaging book brings to life--with warmth and wisdom--the place, the people, and the pursuit of knowledge deep in the jungles of New Guinea.

About this title

About the Author

Vojtech Novotny is Head of the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology at the Biology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences. David Short is Senior Teaching Fellow in Czech and Slovak at University College London.

Reviews

Czech ecologist Novotny (Arthropods of Tropical Forests) recounts his decade living in New Guinea, "a most diverse and extraordinary land," home to six million people and 1,043 different languages. Focusing on the people and their way of living, little escapes Novotny's attention; he examines the base-13 number system, myths about dwarfs, the price of brides (£5,000), and other idiosyncrasies; their extended-family, communal living structure meant that New Guinea tourists in Australia were astounded to see homeless people sleeping on the streets. Occasional shockers can be in questionable taste-i.e., a flip description of cannibalism, practiced in many of New Guinea's cultures until 50 years ago: "one might argue... against ideologies that view neighbors as canned meat on two legs, but eating the deceased was actually a highly civilized custom." Fortunately, his excesses are balanced by genuine sympathy for people making the journey into a radically foreign, modern world, which in many ways (as Novotny illustrates) is equally improbable. 28 b&w illustrations.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0199561656
• ISBN 13: 9780199561650
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272