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In Search of the Lost Kingdom of the Monkey God
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 11, 2021
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but now I can't stop talking about it. This is an excellent mix of history, adventure, and science. And if you can read this book and STILL want to go anywhere near a jungle, well, you are made of stronger stuff than I am!
The book is nicely divided into four different parts. There's the history of the lost city and the many failed (or faked) attempts to find it. This part was fascinating and will be a treat for anyone who likes learning about the huckster side of exploration.
The next part is the author's trip into the jungle to find the city. This is actually a pretty small portion of the overall book, but definitely makes you appreciate the effort the researchers took to find the city.
The next part covers the aftermath of the team's findings. Another intriguing part that shows you how petty archaeologists can be.
And then we get to the other aftermath of the journey...the disease the team picked up. My skin was crawling. This was probably the strongest part of the book and covers how disease is quickly spreading from environments that humans are encroaching upon, and provides arguments for leaving wild places wild. It was written well before COVID times, but has some lessons that apply to today more strongly than ever.
Overall, a great book, even though I listened to the audio version of it and the narrator wasn't very good (seriously, so much mis-pronunciation!).
The book is nicely divided into four different parts. There's the history of the lost city and the many failed (or faked) attempts to find it. This part was fascinating and will be a treat for anyone who likes learning about the huckster side of exploration.
The next part is the author's trip into the jungle to find the city. This is actually a pretty small portion of the overall book, but definitely makes you appreciate the effort the researchers took to find the city.
The next part covers the aftermath of the team's findings. Another intriguing part that shows you how petty archaeologists can be.
And then we get to the other aftermath of the journey...the disease the team picked up. My skin was crawling. This was probably the strongest part of the book and covers how disease is quickly spreading from environments that humans are encroaching upon, and provides arguments for leaving wild places wild. It was written well before COVID times, but has some lessons that apply to today more strongly than ever.
Overall, a great book, even though I listened to the audio version of it and the narrator wasn't very good (seriously, so much mis-pronunciation!).
January 24, 2024
I really liked it. A true adventure story that transports you to modern-day and ancient Honduras in a centuries- long search for Ciudad Blanca, a mythical lost city filled with treasure.
I also learned a lot about:
Archeology and archeology ethics
Leishmaniasis
Lidar
Snakes
I also learned a lot about:
Archeology and archeology ethics
Leishmaniasis
Lidar
Snakes
July 24, 2020
Had a little bit of everything! Anthropological lens - how can a city be lost if the native population knew it was there the whole time?
December 16, 2022
Super interesting! Jungle ruins. Strange diseases. Terrifying snakes. What an adventure!
June 8, 2023
Great adventure in the jungle. Truth better than fiction.
May 25, 2025
Makes me want to explore - I really don’t want to get destroyed by a tropical insect. Mezo America history is my favorite
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews