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Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes
- Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle
- Narrated by: Daniel Everett
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
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Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes
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Publisher's Summary
Daniel Everett, then a Christian missionary, arrived among the Pirahã in 1977 - with his wife and three young children - intending to convert them. What he found was a language that defies all existing linguistic theories and reflects a way of life that evades contemporary understanding. The Pirahã have no counting system and no fixed terms for color. They have no concept of war or of personal property. They live entirely in the present. Everett became obsessed with their language and its cultural and linguistic implications, and with the remarkable contentment with which they live - so much so that he eventually lost his faith in the God he'd hoped to introduce to them. Over three decades, Everett spent a total of seven years among the Pirahã, and his account of this lasting sojourn is an engrossing exploration of language that questions modern linguistic theory. It is also an anthropological investigation, an adventure story, and a riveting memoir of a life profoundly affected by exposure to a different culture. Written with extraordinary acuity, sensitivity, and openness, it is fascinating from first to last, rich with unparalleled insight into the nature of language, thought, and life itself.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Adam
- 02-08-2018
Important and Intriguiung
Having Daniel explain his story in his own words was tremendous. Very few foreigners could've elucidated the Piraha, if any! Hearing Daniel iterate sentences in Piraha, takes us to the sandy banks of the Maici and Amazonia, amongst Cayman and Anaconda. The story itself follows his missionary journey, family in tow, battling the elements, the strange customs of the forest dwelling tribe and eventually his own faith. The second third of the book can get heavy, filling language novices in on grammatical pointers, making the Piraha language unique in the whole world. this might bore any non linguaphiles out there but the argument is compiling.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 29-09-2019
Fascinating!
One of the most interesting books I've ever read/listened to and such a privilege to hear Daniel read his own work - nice personal touch. Extraordinary book about one man's extraordinary work and life experiences
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ethan Hemingway
- 01-11-2019
reccomend if you're into language
A very insightful and interesting look at how language and culture play a role within one another
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