seanfarrell 's review for:

Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle by Daniel L. Everett

3.0

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Split into two sections; the first providing context and stories of living with the Piraha people of the Amazon, and the second being a technical primer on linguistic and language theory and how the Piraha seem to uniquely break that model, Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes is an interesting (if sometimes technical and dry) journey into the world of a remote and foreign culture. The Pirarha's experience of the world is dramatically different from ours, only what is directly known/experienced is discussed yet they experience group encounters with gods and spirits in the company of westerners who see nothing. Yet the Pirahas are of course human, and share love, joy, pain, and sorrow as do all humans. Daniel Everett does a commendable job weaving anecdotal experiences with the Piraha, providing contextual background to the sometimes difficult to understand, technical linguistic theory. Though the book is a little long it's recommended for those interested in anthropology, consciousness, language, and exotic travel.