Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
Notebooks from New Guinea: Field Notes of a Tropical Biologist
Hailed by Edward O. Wilson as "one of the most amazing books I have ever read," this exhilarating volume offers a rare combination of first-rank science and top-notch storytelling. Vojtech Novotny, a world-class researcher and a brilliant writer, works on location in one of the toughest regions of the world--a high-risk locale rife with tropical diseases and venomous wildl...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
June 1st 2009
by Oxford University Press, USA
(first published May 14th 2009)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
44)
Novotny, the biologist, clearly has an interest in all things geographical, biological, cultural, historical, archaeological, folklore, and all things Guinean and Czech. That's alright. In fact good, really. These days information on so many things are out there in magazines, books, TV, that everybody has multiple interests. Everyone's a dilettante. The trouble with this book is that Novotny makes the book appear exactly in this dabbling vein - quite literally - the chapters are not more than a...more
Wonderful collection of short essays on New Guinea tribal culture, Czech scientists, environmentalism, economic growth, linguistics, jungle, and malaria. I think Novotny's voice is part of what makes this book so enjoyable (I don't know that I've ever read anything translated from Czech before, or if what his native language contributes to Novotny's style), but his thoughts on the very wide range of topics are also insightful and entertaining. Very dry sense of humor, this guy.
Apart from the te...more
Apart from the te...more
view 1 comment
this is a fascinating portrait of two cultures: Czech academia and New Guinean jungle tribes. very funny and grumpily written, a strongly contrarian author. by far the best section is 'how to do science in papua new guinea' - describing how a research paper on caterpillars started a tribe war, for example - always more anthropological than scientific... this, Moby Dick and Jurassic Park were the books I read while working at the Natural History Museum for 10 days, a pretty appropriate trio as th...more
Sep 19, 2011
Felly
marked it as my-wishlist
Salah satu guru gua dan ahli serangga terkenal .. orangnya sederhana dan rendah hati banget
Gampang diinget karena janggutnya panjang jadi mirip kyk dumbledore .. selalu pake kaos kotak2 dan celana pendek :D
Gampang diinget karena janggutnya panjang jadi mirip kyk dumbledore .. selalu pake kaos kotak2 dan celana pendek :D
fantastic natural history of new guinea. very comprehensive as far as these things go.
Jul 25, 2012
Abby
added it
This is SO GREAT.
Here is a guy who really knows what's up, and he's so ADD he can't even write about any one thing for more than a page and a half! I would recommend this to just about everyone. Super smart fellow who had me laughing uproariously to myself in public places. Seriously, read it, or at least a page and a half.
Here is a guy who really knows what's up, and he's so ADD he can't even write about any one thing for more than a page and a half! I would recommend this to just about everyone. Super smart fellow who had me laughing uproariously to myself in public places. Seriously, read it, or at least a page and a half.
Excellent book full of wit and humor.
Feb 22, 2013
Noah
marked it as to-read
Dec 08, 2012
Burke
marked it as to-read
Nov 15, 2012
Jason Cortese
marked it as to-read
Oct 21, 2012
Toryn Green
added it
Oct 14, 2012
Fabio
added it
Oct 12, 2012
E.
marked it as to-read
Nov 02, 2012
Julia
added it
Aug 06, 2012
Rania Masri
added it
Feb 26, 2013
Greg Albery
is currently reading it
Jun 06, 2012
Joann Mudge
marked it as to-read
Feb 08, 2012
Ian
marked it as to-read
May 24, 2011
anonymous
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
