Anthropology and linguistics for the rest of us. ( )

This book describes the time spent among an isolated Amazonian tribe by a missionary and linguist, but it is about much, much more. The author was sent to learn the language of the Piraha, a tribe that now numbers less than a thousand people, so that he could translate the New Testament into that language to help convert the Pirahas. Over many years, he learned the language and came to appreciate the culture; both of which are extraordinary. His description of his family's life with the Piraha, far into the Amazon jungle, is fascinating, as is his description of Piraha culture.

But there is much more to the book than adventure in the Amazon, and discussion of an Amazonian people. In the book, he discusses the ways in which the language came to affect his views about language, to the point where they made him question Noam Chomsky's theory that grammar is innate. His work challenging Chomsky has had wide influence, and his discussion of that work (and of Chomsky's view) is the clearest that I have ever read. Essentially, the author regards language as much more a product of culture (or an interaction with culture) than a matter of genetics -- a revolutionary view.

In addition, the book discusses faith, and the challenges to his faith that the author found in the Amazon. All in all, this book made me think really hard about very big themes, despite the fact that it is a relatively easy read. I can't recommend it too highly. ( )

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A fascinating story about a remote tribe in the Amazonian jungle in Brazil.

A linguist and a missionary, Everett went to stay with the Pidahas with his family in 1977. It was to be the first of many trips that made up his life's work and that changed his life significantly. Everett's mission was to translate the bible into the Pidaha language. However, the language had never been written down so that too was part of the job. His first job was to learn it by listening and, as he gained skills, asking questions of certain members of the tribe who were willing to help.

He soon learned that the Pidahas are very different from many other "primitive" people who have been studied over the years. They have no myths, for example, and no history to speak of. They do not consider or find important anything that happened to anyone who is no longer alive. Only the present matters. They do not prepare for "hard times" but instead live for today, proud of their ability to survive tough times. In that sense they do prepare: the title refers to their ability to live on little sleep so that they are always aware and able to respond to dangers.

They are also a happy people. Many who have visited them found them to the the "happiest people" they had ever seen.

What this all adds up to is the strong belief among this group that they have it all. They feel superior to others and have no need of material things of knowledge that others have. While they are willing to adopt new tools for things they already do they are not interested in "advancing" in the common sense of the word.

Yet they are not immune to disasters and tragedy. They are knocked down by diseases and can die from what is easily cured by means they do not have. Instead of wanting these things, though, they readily accept death as part of life, and have no strange rituals for burying the deceased.

It may sound like I am saying too much here, but I don't think so. Reading the book gave me a gradual sense of the people that you cannot get from a synopsis. It also introduced me to linguistic techniques and schools of thought that I knew nothing about. The result of Everett's study over many years is that he now takes the position that language is borne of culture, not innate at birth. Following how he comes to this conclusion and what it means is the heart of this amazing story. But there is more than linguistics, as you might expect. There are human connections and significant changes of belief here as well. ( )

I would have appreciated this book more if I were a linguist, as there are chapters that get pretty technical. But there is enough that is anthropological in nature to keep me happy. ( )

Fantastic book. So many threads. Yes it is a book about anthropology and linguistics. But along the way it has much to say about life. Very thoughtful book. ( )