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Oaxaca Journal (National Geographic Directions)
by
Oliver Sacks
The best-selling author of Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks is well know as an explorer of the human mind—a neurologist with a gift for complex, insightful portrayals of people and their conditions. However, he is also a card-carrying member of the American Fern Society, and since childhood has been fascinated by these primitive plants an...more
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published
March 1st 2002
by National Geographic
(first published 1999)
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Sacks writes primarily about ferns in Oaxaca and only incidentally about Oaxaca itself. About Oaxaca itself, we learn that the southernmost population of Douglas Fir exists here; that the temple buildings at Yagul "face outward, life faces outward, whereas in Greece and Rome the focus is inward"; that the walls at the Mitla palace are made such to absorb and disperse the force of an earthquake; and that the villages in the Oaxaca Valley consist of specialized trades by artisans who ha...more
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The publisher of Oaxaca Journal must have had a difficult time of deciding on appropriate cover art. Although this book evolved from the journal the author kept while on a trip to explore the ferns of Mexico, saying that Oaxaca Journal is about ferns, or about Mexico, is an oversimplification. Oaxaca Journal is an enjoyable, meadering journey through time: ferns are the remnants of dinosaur-age flora just as the modern-day Mexicans the author keenly observes are descendents of both the proud nat...more
I know this wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but it's absolutely to mine, because
--I have great affection for shy, awkward men who are brimming with ideas and have few social skills.
--I admire the scientific storytelling tradition that includes data, natural history, contextualizing narrative, and self-reflective commentary.
--I has an amateur's fondness for taxonomy and categorization, and though ultimately I don't care what's being ordered or arranged, I have a preferen...more
--I have great affection for shy, awkward men who are brimming with ideas and have few social skills.
--I admire the scientific storytelling tradition that includes data, natural history, contextualizing narrative, and self-reflective commentary.
--I has an amateur's fondness for taxonomy and categorization, and though ultimately I don't care what's being ordered or arranged, I have a preferen...more
Sacks' writes a short but richly varied, observant and descriptive account of a trip to Mexico's Oaxaca region. The trip revolves around a search and passion for ferns but Sacks' illustrations and observations cast a far deeper and wider net leading the reader to discoveries and insights related to human nature, history, culture and people in general. That's not to say there is a healthy and interesting dose of information about the both the symbiotic and parasitic relationships in nature..
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After reading about half of this book, i decided to stop... Its just too much about and i find it hard to share sacks' enthusiasm for ferns; so i found myself skipping big parts and picking out the pieces about mexico, which are more interesting. But i'd rather start on a new book instead.
I try to avoid the word, but really, this book is delightful. Only a certain kind of person wants to go on a fern-hunting expedition to Oaxaca, and a certain type of person wants to write about that kind of expedition, and a certain kind of person enjoys reading that book. Still, it's packed with more non-fern material than fern material. You get a vivid and immediate picture of Oaxaca -- its landscape, culture, food, etc. -- from an author who is a national treasure. And it's all over in about ...more
Never having read his more famous writings, I found this to be an insightful, charming, and fascinating introduction to what goes on inside Oliver Sacks' head. He invites the reader into an exclusive circle of genius botanists, exposes their follies, and marvels at their passion. In this way, it was a one-of-kind guide to the Oaxaca region of Mexico (now on my list of places to go). Sacks has a great ability to observe the most minute details, and then step back and see how each singular piece i...more
totally enjoyed sack's journal of a fern hunting expedition to oaxaca mexico: a smart and endearing eccentric on an eccentric outing to an eccentric location with an equally eccentric group of people -- fern aficionados! it is a book filled with small jewels: knowledge of plants, knowledge of culture, sacks own particular view of life, plants, and people ... what's not to enjoy in such a book as this one. now i'm ready to book a trip to oaxaca and see things for myself (and through the awareness...more
Welch ein wunderbares Buch! Oliver Sacks, Neurologe, eher bekannt durch seine Bücher über seine PatientInnen wie z. B. ,Der Mann der seine Frau mit einem Hut verwechselte' oder (ganz aktuell) ,Der einarmige Pianist' beschreibt hier eine 10tägige Reise der New Yorker Farngesellschaft nach Oaxaca, Mexiko, an der er als Mitglied dieser Gesellschaft teilnahm.
Der Name ist Programm: Alle TeilnehmerInnen sind FarnliebhaberInnen und Oaxaca ist bekannt für seine große Vielfalt an sehr unterschiedl...more
Der Name ist Programm: Alle TeilnehmerInnen sind FarnliebhaberInnen und Oaxaca ist bekannt für seine große Vielfalt an sehr unterschiedl...more
read this small book while travelling through oaxaca, mexico. subject matter was most interesting when he was talking about the very cool plants and interesting people he was travelling with on his two-week fern exploration trip throught he state. also some nice discussion of the history and culture of the area. the introverted musings such as "i almost catch the meaning of life while sitting next to a street dog on the steps of the ruins" and rhetorical philosophical questions i could...more
I read ths two weeks after returning from Oaxaca with my Ethobotany class, and it is uncanny how similar our two tourist experiences were, right down to his musings about botanical married couples. This is not the best travel narrative I've ever read--I can't help thinking that if I had a name as big as Sacks', I could publish my unedited journals and they would be at least as interesting and informatve as his. But it's quick and light, and I don't regret the few afternoons I spent on it.
superb book. sacks observations are like small gems that you pick up on a hike and hide away for a rainy day. when i finished this book i suddenly became aware of my feet and low and behold i was standing on a bed of ferns, delicate and feathery and i picked one up to smell it and then i meditated on the space around me and the open sky that meets the sea and the human beings that lived longed ago and the ferns that they stepped on. boy, i do love a book that makes me feel like we matter.....
Like most travel literature, this account of a trip to Mexico among fern experts has the airy casual feel of the writer on vacation from dense and compelling prose. It does make for excellent summer reading for the amateur science enthusiast. It is fun to see Oliver Sacks's freely associating brainwaves outside of his psychology office.
An amusing read on a recent trip to Oaxaca. Sacks is very good at describing local markets, ruins, and his ruminations on such. Not as interesting when he describes fern-hunting, the ostensible purpose of his trip, though he occasionally goes into some neat "isn't evolution/botany/the fern life cycle amazing?" territory.
Not my favorite book by Sacks, but worth a quick read. Sacks tells about a one week trip to Oaxaca with a group interested in ferns. Along the way, he included his impressions of Oaxaca, of Mexico, and of some of the people he met along the way. Also, lots of information on ferns.
A combination of travel memoir, light history and botany, this book was a delight to read. Full of color, sight, smell, sound - and great observations without being too intrusive to the spirit of the adventure. Recommend for anyone into botany/ethnobotany and amateur naturlist writing.
A great intimate look into the famous neurologist Oliver Sack's mind. Join him on his adventures into the lush area of Oaxaca, Mexico in search of exotic species of ferns. This heart warming book is full of cultural history and everyday observations.
Se un libro riesce ad incuriosirti ed allargare i tuoi orizzonti, pur essendo un semplice diario di viaggio, allora è un buon libro. Inoltre Sacks, con la sua esperienza da neurologo e la sua grande conoscenza anche nella botanica, invoglia a ripercorrere passo dopo passo lo stesso itinerario da lui seguito in quel Messico: da una lunga storia millenaria; ricco di tradizioni ed idee innovative; abbondante di piatti bevande e sapori nuovi; e in particolare (per il gruppo di botanici) prosperoso d...more
My Tweet on 1 Abril 10 from Oaxaca, where, like Sacks I spent a week...
Just finished Oliver Sacks' delighful down home Oaxaca Journal about ferning, writing, observing culture & nature
If you're going to Oaxaca, I'd take it with me, it's special book, Oaxaca is a special place...really not all that much about ferns, but ferning as he calls it...
Just finished Oliver Sacks' delighful down home Oaxaca Journal about ferning, writing, observing culture & nature
If you're going to Oaxaca, I'd take it with me, it's special book, Oaxaca is a special place...really not all that much about ferns, but ferning as he calls it...
This was a delightful travelogue to the botany of Oaxaca -who knew the highest diversity of ferns in the world was centered here! I read this while my son planning a month a language school in Oaxaca.
This book is full of delightful little facts, and colorful descriptions of Oaxaca that make me want to go back. Sometimes the author came across as self-absorbed as he narrated the story, but overall a fun and interesting book.
i enjoyed this so much that it took me two days (though, it was fast reading, and short). nonetheless, for it's "easy reading" it was still his wonderful writing, this time a "free style" writing. oliver reminds me of the eccentric of thinkers, being a good/beautiful thing.
Incredible variety and depth of knowledge. I want to like ferns more because of this book. Loved the history stories of Mexico and learning about cocoa beans, spices, and more.
Oliver Sacks and his fellow fern lovers explore Oaxaca's lush vegetation and fantastic culture.
I almost got there once; this journal makes me want to plan the trip again.
I got this because I was interested in Oaxaca, not ferns. But he is such a good writer that I really enjoyed it. Too short and simple for a higher rating.
A delightful book so far.
Sacks has me learning and excited about something I'd previously not given much thought. The Oaxaca region of Mexico and its abundant flora are almost tangible in this journal. If anyone could make me say, with great happiness, "I'm reading a book about ferns!", it's Oliver Sacks.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys naturalist writings, and for a lot of people who don't. Travel, culture, history, and a little sociology are thrown in for good m...more
Sacks has me learning and excited about something I'd previously not given much thought. The Oaxaca region of Mexico and its abundant flora are almost tangible in this journal. If anyone could make me say, with great happiness, "I'm reading a book about ferns!", it's Oliver Sacks.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys naturalist writings, and for a lot of people who don't. Travel, culture, history, and a little sociology are thrown in for good m...more
nice light read, its fun to follow people on their journeys, ones you know you wont be taking yourself but still interesting
Fabulous story. About one of my favourite plants, ferns. Made me want to travel to Oaxaca to explore. Excellent!
I wanted to go to Oaxaca to explore Mexico's monuments and crafts. Now I want to go to Oaxaca to look for ferns!!
I've always loved books about nature -- especially when they interweave stories, human nature and history, as this wonderful book does. I have to read more of Dr. Sacks' books!
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Oliver Wolf Sacks, CBE (born July 9, 1933, London), is a British neurologist residing in the United States, who has written popular books about his patients, the most famous of which is Awakenings, which was adapted into a film of the same name starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro.
Sacks was the youngest of four children born to a prosperous North London Jewish couple: Sam, a phys...more
More about Oliver Sacks...
Sacks was the youngest of four children born to a prosperous North London Jewish couple: Sam, a phys...more
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