Paul Beaver (2)

I went looking for "Diary of an Amazon Jungle Guide" because it was recommended by Sy Montgomery, and I had just read her book "Journey of the Pink Dolphins". Sy's amazing stories of the pink dolphins of the Amazon basin opened my eyes to the wonders of the world's largest and most diverse ecological treasure - the Amazonia.

Paul Beaver has a Ph.D. in biology. His book has a five-page index of the insects, fish, birds and animals he mentions as he describes his adventures.

I laughed out loud show more several times over the unintentionally funny aspects of exploring the jungle. In the end, I came away with a deep appreciation for the native people and their environment - an everyday world for those who live there, and as foreign as an alien planet to North Americans.

Paul brings the world of the jungle that he knows so well to life with the mundane details that are so different from our land. The climate - intense heat and humidity, becomes as real as the dolphins and caimans in Paul's stories, as though it were another living entity that one must guard against, be constantly aware of, and heedful of the steps to defend against it. Seasonal rainfall and flooding, so extreme but so 'ordinary' in that setting, contribute to the circle of life and also to the main transportation for the inhabitants - the waterways and lakes.

Diary of an Amazon Jungle Guide is a must read for those who love travel and adventure stories, and fans of books on wildlife or native societies. Written after decades of experience that few others get, and even fewer have the language and scientific background to appreciate and express, this book is an unusual treasure - one I will not even loan, because I could not risk trying to replace. Good luck to finding a copy. I didn't list an ISBN, because there is not one in the book. I've added the address for Amazonia Expeditions, Paul's company, (which is also the publisher). show less