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Wizard of the Upper Amazon: The Story of Manuel C¢rdova-Rios
A richly-detailed real-life account of ancient tribal life and the fascinating role of Ayahuasca in the heart of the Amazon.
Wizard of the Upper Amazon provides an insightful depiction of a South American tribal society at the turn of the 20th century. It delves into the captivating world of the Huni Kui tribe and their deep-seated connection with Ayahuasca, a powerful hallucinogenic plant. With the resurging interest in Ayahuasca today, this account offers a valuable and historical perspective, unveiling its traditional uses in day-to-day tribal life.
Our narrator, Manuel Córdova-Rios, takes the reader along on his extraordinary journey from a young boy taken in by the tribe to a respected healer. His accounts illustrate a unique societal fabric where plant medicine is a teacher, telepathy a communication mode, and clairvoyance a revered skill. In comparison to the modern ceremonial use of Ayahuasca, Córdova-Rios paints an enlightening picture of how this substance is entwined with various aspects of tribal life, from hunting practices to dispute resolution.
Wizard of the Upper Amazon is a rare look into a world that remains largely unexplored and elusive. According to reader reviews, the book delivers engaging insights into tribal life and Ayahuasca's role within it. This real-life tale invites readers to immerse themselves in the tribal world's intricate dynamics and to appreciate the deep wisdom and traditional practices of the Amazonian people. A classic read for those interested in indigenous cultures, shamanism, or plant medicine, this book offers a robust exploration into a time and place far removed from our own.
Wizard of the Upper Amazon provides an insightful depiction of a South American tribal society at the turn of the 20th century. It delves into the captivating world of the Huni Kui tribe and their deep-seated connection with Ayahuasca, a powerful hallucinogenic plant. With the resurging interest in Ayahuasca today, this account offers a valuable and historical perspective, unveiling its traditional uses in day-to-day tribal life.
Our narrator, Manuel Córdova-Rios, takes the reader along on his extraordinary journey from a young boy taken in by the tribe to a respected healer. His accounts illustrate a unique societal fabric where plant medicine is a teacher, telepathy a communication mode, and clairvoyance a revered skill. In comparison to the modern ceremonial use of Ayahuasca, Córdova-Rios paints an enlightening picture of how this substance is entwined with various aspects of tribal life, from hunting practices to dispute resolution.
Wizard of the Upper Amazon is a rare look into a world that remains largely unexplored and elusive. According to reader reviews, the book delivers engaging insights into tribal life and Ayahuasca's role within it. This real-life tale invites readers to immerse themselves in the tribal world's intricate dynamics and to appreciate the deep wisdom and traditional practices of the Amazonian people. A classic read for those interested in indigenous cultures, shamanism, or plant medicine, this book offers a robust exploration into a time and place far removed from our own.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
October 5, 2015
The great autobiography of Manuel Cordova Rios (with the help of Bruce Lamb). The movie "The Emerald Forest" was loosely based on this.
March 20, 2015
This English account of the early like of Manuel de Cordova is an easy read, and just as fascinating as it is educational. My students began the semester with this book as a way to ease them into discussions of ethnocentrism, oral histories, isolated tribes and what it is like to be dropped into a completely foreign culture. We spent a great deal of time on the spiritual visions brought on by ayahuasca, and probed the neurological explanations versus a faith in the healing power of this hallucinogenic. I strongly recommend this to those wanting to read about the experience of another culture, particularly a hunter-gatherer tribe that is isolated, but don't really want to trudge through an ethnography.
Used for Anthropology 130: World Cultures at JCCC.
Used for Anthropology 130: World Cultures at JCCC.
January 25, 2013
One of the major problems of cultural anthropology, other than our rapid extermination of indigenous peoples, is that of perspective. Even with years of immersion, the trained anthropologist may be suspected of lacking much of the fundamental mindset of those studied. Wizard of the Upper Amazon, however, gives an account which may bridge the usual gap.
While a boy, Manuel Córdova-Rios became lost in the Amazon jungle and was rescued, adopted and raised by the Huni Kui. Years later, now a young man, he returned, curious and almost by accident, to civilization where, eventually, he recounted his life with the Huni Kui to co-author Lamb.
This account, like few others, existentially impressed me with the difference between my fundamental assumptions and those apparently held by members of this jungle culture of hunter-gatherers. In other words, unlike most anthropological studies, it was not abstract.
Wizard of the Upper Amazon is probably best known for its accounts of the culturally important uses of natural psychotropics by the Huni Kui. Having had some experience with related drugs, I can just begin to apprehend how Manuel and his fellows employed the substance in hunting. Unlike them, however, I cannot carry over the conviction of participation mystique into the interpretation of such experiences. A reader without experience with such altered states of consciousness may find this portion of the account entirely incredible.
Incidentally, John Boorman's movie, Emerald Forest, tells such a similar story that one suspects he was inspired by this book.
While a boy, Manuel Córdova-Rios became lost in the Amazon jungle and was rescued, adopted and raised by the Huni Kui. Years later, now a young man, he returned, curious and almost by accident, to civilization where, eventually, he recounted his life with the Huni Kui to co-author Lamb.
This account, like few others, existentially impressed me with the difference between my fundamental assumptions and those apparently held by members of this jungle culture of hunter-gatherers. In other words, unlike most anthropological studies, it was not abstract.
Wizard of the Upper Amazon is probably best known for its accounts of the culturally important uses of natural psychotropics by the Huni Kui. Having had some experience with related drugs, I can just begin to apprehend how Manuel and his fellows employed the substance in hunting. Unlike them, however, I cannot carry over the conviction of participation mystique into the interpretation of such experiences. A reader without experience with such altered states of consciousness may find this portion of the account entirely incredible.
Incidentally, John Boorman's movie, Emerald Forest, tells such a similar story that one suspects he was inspired by this book.
March 26, 2014
This is a fascinating book. One of the most interesting things about it is what Rivas-Cordova describes as "collective dreaming" among the community. While a number of anthropologists dismissed this story at the time, I found it to be a credible tale. The collective dreaming seems to be corroborated by what Loren McIntyre described as telepathic "beaming" between himself and the headman of the band of Mayoruna who kidnapped him (recounted to Petru Popescu in his amazing book "Amazon Beaming").
June 20, 2023
In the late 1960s, F. Bruce Lamb was doing a forest survey in eastern Peru and was introduced to Manuel Córdova-Rios, who accompanied him as a guide. As they got to know each other, Lamb learned that Córdova had been kidnapped by the Amahuaca Indians at the age of 15 and had spent seven years living with them in an isolated region in western Brazil, until he escaped and returned to his family in Iquitos in 1914. The book is the story of his captivity, during which he learned the language of his captors, was adopted into the tribe, was trained in the arts of healing and divination, and eventually became their chief.
The book acquired some notoriety when it was published in 1971 because of its descriptions of hallucinogenic sessions the Amahuaca (they called themselves the Huni Kui) used to communicate with the spirit world. Although these beautifully described sessions are important events in the book, there is much more here--marriage and funeral customs, hunting techniques, and an elegant depiction of life in the forest for an indigenous people who had little contact with westerners. Córdova’s own personal evolution from a frightened adolescent into a skilled hunter, shaman and tribal leader is the true story here, and his eventual decision to leave the tribe and return home is full of anguish. In a sequel, Rio Tigre and Beyond, Córdova describes how his love for the forest led him to become a healer and an advocate for all its people, plants and animals.
This is an amazing story, engaging and suspenseful; a vivid glimpse into a way of life that has vanished. Córdova does not idealize the Huni Kui, who are sometimes violent and treacherous, but he leaves the reader with a new appreciation for the forest and those who live in it.
The book acquired some notoriety when it was published in 1971 because of its descriptions of hallucinogenic sessions the Amahuaca (they called themselves the Huni Kui) used to communicate with the spirit world. Although these beautifully described sessions are important events in the book, there is much more here--marriage and funeral customs, hunting techniques, and an elegant depiction of life in the forest for an indigenous people who had little contact with westerners. Córdova’s own personal evolution from a frightened adolescent into a skilled hunter, shaman and tribal leader is the true story here, and his eventual decision to leave the tribe and return home is full of anguish. In a sequel, Rio Tigre and Beyond, Córdova describes how his love for the forest led him to become a healer and an advocate for all its people, plants and animals.
This is an amazing story, engaging and suspenseful; a vivid glimpse into a way of life that has vanished. Córdova does not idealize the Huni Kui, who are sometimes violent and treacherous, but he leaves the reader with a new appreciation for the forest and those who live in it.
May 7, 2024
Fascinating. This autobiography reads more like an anthropological field study than a personal tale.
Given that I just traveled via whitewater kayak for fourteen days down the Rio Marañon (not too far from the location of Xanadu), I perhaps had a special interest. Nonetheless, I found the descriptions of the social and political structures, social life, hunting techniques, use of vision-producing hallucinogens (not to mention the intentional control of these visions to transmit knowledge and foretell the future) to be deeply engrossing and unexpectedly intriguing.
What I found perhaps most interesting was the absence of any self-reflection on the author’s moral struggle or the discussion of any internal conflict about the author’s
Split loyalties between two civilizations.
Given that I just traveled via whitewater kayak for fourteen days down the Rio Marañon (not too far from the location of Xanadu), I perhaps had a special interest. Nonetheless, I found the descriptions of the social and political structures, social life, hunting techniques, use of vision-producing hallucinogens (not to mention the intentional control of these visions to transmit knowledge and foretell the future) to be deeply engrossing and unexpectedly intriguing.
What I found perhaps most interesting was the absence of any self-reflection on the author’s moral struggle or the discussion of any internal conflict about the author’s
Split loyalties between two civilizations.
May 7, 2025
Poignant page-turner.
April 19, 2019
One of the most fascinating books I have ever read. If you are at all interested in hallucinogens or anthropology, this book is a must-read.
August 27, 2023
There are few things I hate more than indigenous people being called "primitive". The language of the 1970's is a rough pill to swallow. Setting that aside however, this is not the perspective of a white person observing a tribe as if they were lab rats or attempting to convert them to Christianity. That makes it significantly more palatable then most books on these topics. The story is told more through neutral observation than speculations.
Some common misconceptions are made such as the belief that emotions are withheld or not felt. The assumption that human emotion is universally expressed (aka a smile = happiness, scowl = anger, etc) is false. Many still believe even now that the physical manifestation of emotion is nature not nurture. Studies have proven otherwise. In fact there is not a single emotion that is considered universal. Not having the skills to read one's emotions does not equate to them not having them.
But again this conjecture is not the bulk of the book. I can't help but enjoy learning about the conditions surrounding ayahauasca (an experience both appropriated and bastardized by western culture). I feel more aware of just how far western "vision quests" are from the original intention.
Beyond this the visual descriptions of both the environment and way of life are stunning. It informs us not just of the people but the complex ecosystem in which they find themselves. I love a book that is equal parts ecology and anthropology.
In the end I felt very divided. It is the story of a young man kidnapped by the tribe and well it's absolutely normal for him to want to escape and return to his old life, I really wanted him to stay. As the book neared the end I was tempted to stop reading to avoid the possibility of a disappointing outcome.
Some common misconceptions are made such as the belief that emotions are withheld or not felt. The assumption that human emotion is universally expressed (aka a smile = happiness, scowl = anger, etc) is false. Many still believe even now that the physical manifestation of emotion is nature not nurture. Studies have proven otherwise. In fact there is not a single emotion that is considered universal. Not having the skills to read one's emotions does not equate to them not having them.
But again this conjecture is not the bulk of the book. I can't help but enjoy learning about the conditions surrounding ayahauasca (an experience both appropriated and bastardized by western culture). I feel more aware of just how far western "vision quests" are from the original intention.
Beyond this the visual descriptions of both the environment and way of life are stunning. It informs us not just of the people but the complex ecosystem in which they find themselves. I love a book that is equal parts ecology and anthropology.
In the end I felt very divided. It is the story of a young man kidnapped by the tribe and well it's absolutely normal for him to want to escape and return to his old life, I really wanted him to stay. As the book neared the end I was tempted to stop reading to avoid the possibility of a disappointing outcome.
July 13, 2022
While there is some controversy about the veracity of this story about a rubber harvester captured by rainforest people, the subject had a massive history of successful healing of numerous and many famous Peruvians, including a former president of Peru, the story is a powerful read.
I first heard of this book in the 1980s when it was a popular read for the new-shamanism revival of the New Age Movement, It is the subject's experiences in ayahuasca ceremonies that were the attraction.
While three or four of those experiences are recounted in some detail, what struck me about my experience reading it, was a kind of primal fear I had of living primitively in the jungle. The storytelling is highly evocative of what we might experience in his shoes (until he stopped wearing them to live naked for the next seven years).
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live truly as our ancestors did? Then this is a book to read, even if the entire story is fiction. It is not the truth of the story that matters here. It is this reader's experience of a great story of an exotic ancient humanness that lies buried within most of us that made this such a great read for me.
I first heard of this book in the 1980s when it was a popular read for the new-shamanism revival of the New Age Movement, It is the subject's experiences in ayahuasca ceremonies that were the attraction.
While three or four of those experiences are recounted in some detail, what struck me about my experience reading it, was a kind of primal fear I had of living primitively in the jungle. The storytelling is highly evocative of what we might experience in his shoes (until he stopped wearing them to live naked for the next seven years).
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live truly as our ancestors did? Then this is a book to read, even if the entire story is fiction. It is not the truth of the story that matters here. It is this reader's experience of a great story of an exotic ancient humanness that lies buried within most of us that made this such a great read for me.
December 20, 2024
Had to read this for my college world cultures course and really enjoyed it. It depicts the story of a young rubber farmer who is taken by indigenous peoples in South America. The young farmer is taken in by the tribe and is made to learn their ways. Throughout the book the farmer learns many unique skills and ways of life through living with the tribe. The use of hallucinogenic drugs to induce guided visions for the betterment of oneself is common among the tribe. I found this story very interesting and was particularly interested when reading about the hunting missions the tribe would go on. All in all a fun read.
September 23, 2020
I haven't read much "shamanic" literature. But I have the impression that much of it idealizes tribal life. Well, the wizard of the title neither glamorizes nor disparages in the telling of his story. There are some literary flourishes, which put me in the moment, but I'm guessing they came from Lamb and not from Manuel Cordova-Rios. Can we trust all that Cordova-Rios tells us of his life with the tribe? Well, I guess a good storyteller has some license to elaborate. Anyway, this is a good tale--and something of a thriller at the end.
June 23, 2020
An extraordinary anthropological study of an uncontacted Indian culture as seen through the eyes of a captive who becomes a leader and their guide through first contact. The book is replete with detailed information about the tribe and its surroundings, its ceremonies and rites of passage. It is the best anthropological study I have encountered since reading “Ishi of Two Worlds” decades ago. Read more at bookmanreader.blogspot.com .
June 22, 2022
This is an AMAZING true personal story apparently told to the author by the main character in the book, Manuel Cordova-Rios. As a 15 year old boy he was captured by a tribe of natives in Peru and instead of killing him, they brought hi back to their camp and kept him. Over the next 7 years he learned the language and culture of the tribe, and became a favorite of the tribe's leader. Eventually he tricks the tribe in order to escape and return to his home village.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2022
This is a very interesting book, touching upon many different aspects of the shifting cultural and historic context surrounding ayahuasca. There's not too much to say except it was pretty interesting how this plant extract fits with some native cultural lives, although I don't know if people still practice it like so today. If you are interested in this subject or in mysticism, this is a must read!
July 16, 2025
Firlstly, it should be said just how incredibly readable this book is. Sometimes a book can be a slog, but this one you just breeze through, especially near the end.
Apparently, this book is 100% true and it has a feel of authenticity to it.
A fascinating tale of a boy who gets kidnapped at 15 and is thrown into the world of an amazonian tribe. One thing that he talks about is the usage of ayahuasca and how it aids them in making decisions.
Apparently, this book is 100% true and it has a feel of authenticity to it.
A fascinating tale of a boy who gets kidnapped at 15 and is thrown into the world of an amazonian tribe. One thing that he talks about is the usage of ayahuasca and how it aids them in making decisions.
January 23, 2019
It’s nice, easy to read and rather short true life story. I found it entertaining and interesting but it could have been much longer and more detailed considering that the book described his life for seven years with the tribe.
June 27, 2019
Interesting exposure to a completely different way of life in the Amazon, had cool dreams whilst reading it. if it wasn't for the imagined visuals I wouldn't have been able to finish it because the writing isn't nuanced or intriguing at all.
April 8, 2020
What a story. I've always been fascinated by jungles and tribal people. It's sad to know that all this tribal knowledge of plants and the human mind is disappearing.
The real life story on this book is just incredible. They should make another movie about this man's life.
The real life story on this book is just incredible. They should make another movie about this man's life.
December 5, 2023
A beautiful story of a man who was captured by an Indian tribe for 7 years. I loved hearing what he learned from the tribe, an insight on the way they lived, how they deeply connected to nature and their own bodies. Quite inspiring - I couldn’t put it down
July 4, 2025
Very interesting ethnographic account of tribal life and the use of psychedelics in the Amazon. Recommend to all interested in different cultural view points and even those just interested in an adventurous real-life tale.
October 29, 2017
If you’re a fan of One River this one won’t disappoint.
February 2, 2020
I first read this story in 1974 and kept the book. I'm glad I finally reread it for a second time.
July 11, 2021
this is an insiders view of a pre-contact amazon tribe such as you'll never find elsewhere.
Read
October 12, 2023Great to read!
December 12, 2024
One of the craziest things that could ever happen to you.
Not my choice of book (for book club) but it was better than I expected and interesting.
Not my choice of book (for book club) but it was better than I expected and interesting.
May 25, 2025
this is really amazing book about an uncontacted to tribe. It's similar to the White Jaguar book series but takes place in about 200 years later. Also 5 stars!
August 24, 2009
Short, interesting account of a young Peruvian rubber-tapper's kidnapping and 7-years apprenticeship with the Huni Kui Indians of the Upper Amazon, especially of the regular collective visions sessions undertaken via the psychotropic root-based potion ayahuasca. "Guided" by their chief and led by rituals and chanting, participants of the sessions do experience collective visions, and the ayahuasca is essential in developing hightened sense-worlds and the relationship with the forest needed to provide successful hunts and maintain the collective health of the tribe. The most interesting passages are those where Cordova-Rios (not "Rice"!) relates that after intensely "visioning" partridges, jaguars and important medicinal and edible plants, he was able to more exactly identify and search for these things in the jungle, and to precisely mimic bird-calls once having "become" them in his visions.
August 29, 2020
The retelling of a true story, a younger rubber harvester is kidnapped by indians of the upper Amazon forest and trained to become a chief and medicine man. Through a regimen of hallucinogenic spirit journeys he learns and develops the skills and knowledge of these people that thrive in one of the most treacherous and beautiful landscapes on earth. These indians can SMELL different types of snakes before they see them, they can find a single insect making a noise in a multi-mile radius of dense jungle, they can hit a bird a hundred yards above them in the jungle canopy with a single blowdart, and so on and so on. Reading this will change the way you look at our own culture as you realize how far we've come from our deep connections with nature.
May 18, 2014
An interesting account of a teenage cuacho (rubber tapper) capture by an interior Amazon forest-dwelling tribe that is taken in, assimilated and prepared to be their next chief. From an anthropological point of view, it is an excellent view into the organization and inner workings of the tribe. From a spiritual vantage point it is much more fascinating as it looks closely at the tribe's use of ayauasca for deep connection to the forest ecosystem that they inhabit and for fostering creative problem solving and shared visions for the betterment and advancement of their society.
I would recommend this to those interested in ethnographies in a more story-telling format and for those that like to look at community spirituality through a different lens.
I would recommend this to those interested in ethnographies in a more story-telling format and for those that like to look at community spirituality through a different lens.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews