Wade Davis is a tremendous ally to Indigenous people...an anthropologist who has traveled the world and captured something really critical in his studies. Human diversity is one of the richest treasures of our planet, like an old growth forest or a mountain range.
Reading his lyrical account is to travel the planet and see what is magnificent and endangered about our species. He reaches far beyond his field of study, taking on oppression, the disappearance of languages, racism, spirituality, the entwining of the natural world and the human race.
"Were societies to be ranked on the basis of technological prowess, the Western scientific experiment, radiant and brilliant, would no doubt come out on top. But if the criteria of excellence shifted, for example, to the capacity to thrive in a truly sustainable manner, with a true reverence and appreciation for the Earth, the Western paradigm would fail....."
Here is a video of Davis discussing his work and vision:
I've read The Serpent and The Rainbow and learned everything I ever wanted or needed to know about tetrodotoxin. When I read it my focus was more on voodoo, but I do recall his detailed exploration of Haitian culture.
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