Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle [Paperback]

A riveting account of the astonishing experiences and discoveries made by linguist Daniel Everett while he lived with the Pirahã, a small tribe of Amazonian Indians in central Brazil. Daniel Everett arrived among the Pirahã with his wife and three young children hoping to convert the tribe to Christianity. Everett quickly became obsessed with their language and its cultural and linguistic implications. The Pirahã have no counting system, no fixed terms for color, no concept of war, and no personal property. Everett was so impressed with their peaceful way of life that he eventually lost faith in the God he'd hoped to introduce to them, and instead devoted his life to the science of linguistics. Part passionate memoir, part scientific exploration, Everett's life-changing tale is riveting look into the nature of language, thought, and life itself.

Absorbing. . . . Shares its author's best traits: perseverance, insight, humor and humility. Both the Pirahas and their interpreter make splendid company. --The Plain Dealer

Immensely interesting and deeply moving. . . . One of the best books I have read. —Lucy Dodwell,New Scientist  

  A story of language and faith along the sweeping banks of the Maici River. . . . Verdict: Read. —Time  Destined to become a classic of popular enthnography. —The Independent, London   A genuine and engrossing book that is both sharp and intuitive; it closes around you and reaches inside you, controlling your every thought and movement as you read it. . . . Impossible to forget. —Sacramento Book Review  Three stars. . . . [A] spiritual adventure story. —People  A fascinating look into the lives of the Piraha, an Amazonian community of hunter-gatherers. —The Minneapolis Star Tribune  Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes makes the rain forest sound like a magic mushroom. —Harper's l£Ý