Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes
Books | Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics / General
Daniel L. Everett
Part passionate memoir, part scientific exploration, a life-changing tale set among a small tribe of Amazonian Indians in Brazil that offers a riveting look into the nature of language, thought, and life itself."Immensely interesting and deeply moving.... One of the best books I have read."—Lucy Dodwell, New ScientistA riveting account of the astonishing experiences and discoveries made by linguist Daniel Everett while he lived with the Pirahã, a small tribe of Amazonian Indians in central Brazil.Daniel Everett arrived among the Pirahã with his wife and three young children hoping to convert the tribe to Christianity. Everett quickly became obsessed with their language and its cultural and linguistic implications. The Pirahã have no counting system, no fixed terms for color, no concept of war, and no personal property. Everett was so impressed with their peaceful way of life that he eventually lost faith in the God he'd hoped to introduce to them, and instead devoted his life to the science of linguistics.
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
Daniel L. Everett
Pages
304
Publisher
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published Date
2008-11-11
ISBN
0307377792 9780307377791
Community ReviewsSee all
"3/5 ⭐️ I had previously read this book as part of an undergrad linguistics course I was taking but was required to read the first section. I thought it was about time I reread that portion and finished the rest of it. I was a bit conflicted over this one. On the surface it should be right up my alley - a fascinating memoir, unique linguistic analysis, funny or moving stories about a different culture, and a discussion on the necessity of Christianity. In actuality it was difficult to read at times. The section on the author’s life told such compelling stories about a culture that I did really enjoy learning about but it was also kinda all over the place. It wasn’t difficult to follow but I definitely did not understand the logic of the progression of the stories. I also disagreed with a good number of the conclusions he drew throughout. The portion on language seemed both too dense for a layperson but also not as detailed as I would have liked on certain aspects. All in all, I loved learning about a culture and language so completely different from ours and having certain beliefs and assumptions challenged but I don’t think I will be returning to this book again."
E T
Emma Tang