What I learned: I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's the first book in almost 2 years where I thought, "Alright, I GOTTA buy this one" after reading it (all books listed since I started using it again have come from the good ol' Mooresville Public Library)(oh yeah, "On Love" by Stendal was the last one I felt that way about). If you're a fan of exotic travelogues and/or ancient/supernaturally-based cultures, it's a must-read. I had to put down the book after reading some parts of it, because some of the stories absolutely blew my mind. I have read quite a bit about many of the practices mentioned in the book, but his casual, intelligent, and enthusiastic first-person style lent quite a bit more atmosphere and feeling to the subject matter.
Books totally rule, dude.