Amazon

by Dennison Berwick

Determined to experience the mighty Amazon for himself, Dennison Berwick travelled alone for more than year in a small canoe along major rivers and unnamed tributaries. At night he slung a hammock between trees in the forest, surrounded by all the noises of creatures active in the darkness. He walked for a week to reach the source of the Amazon in the snow-capped Andes in Peru; got lost in the forest; took hallucinogenic ayahuasca and ended his adventure by trying to convince an angry hunting party of Yanomami Indians that he was not a gold-miner attempting to rob them. Praise for "Amazon" ..".not just another travel book. (The author has) a sharp eye, an inquisitive nose and boundless compassion for the river dwellers..." Environment Brazil ..".as much a fascinating and timely record of the people of the rainforest as it is the story of a personal quest. The Traveller. "Berwick's vision...is acute." Country Life

410 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 1990

Reviews

[Scott Hilborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled with vivid descriptions of jungles, raging rivers, and vegetation encountered as the author sought the source of the Amazon River. Less expectedly, there are stories of industrialization, urban decay and dishonesty.

Where this book shone for me was the descriptions of people. The author allows people to tell their stories through their actions and words. As stories unfold, you build understanding and often empathy with characters in horrific circumstances.

This is a book I recommend for anyone with a curious mind or heart.