Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
111th out of 115 books
—
29 voters
Oaxaca Journal
by
Oliver Sacks (Goodreads Author)
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
Paperback, 160 pages
Published
December 5th 2006
by National Geographic
(first published 2002)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
824)
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 have an amateur's fondness for taxonomy and categorization, and though ultimately I don't care what's being ordered or arranged, I have a preference for plants and animal...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 have an amateur's fondness for taxonomy and categorization, and though ultimately I don't care what's being ordered or arranged, I have a preference for plants and animal...more
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 have passed a...more
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
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..
The...more
The...more
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.
Full disclosure: I love Oaxaca and had been an admirer of Oliver Sacks, so it was a huge disappointment in the early chapters to learn how ignorant he was of the people and cultures of Oaxaca, then and now. Early on he was amazed to find a GI Clinic ..."I wonder...why one should seek a colonoscopy....in these holy confines?" Well, as in most Hispanic cities, the Cathedral is in the heart of the city, along w shops, medical offices, cafes. Not everyone goes to Mt Sinai Dr. Sacks!
But by the last...more
But by the last...more
Imagine a group of eclectic people ranging from botanists, artists, scientists and hobby enthusiasts together on a nine-day journey to observe ferns (yes the plants) in the southern state of Oaxaca, Mexico? Plus it is all recorded in the form of a journal. Sounds dull or at least, odd but under the penmanship of Oliver Sacks, it is simply brilliant.
I enjoyed his foray into ferns, plants and assorted botanical musings along with his sketches and I never really had an interest in this subject but...more
I enjoyed his foray into ferns, plants and assorted botanical musings along with his sketches and I never really had an interest in this subject but...more
The neurologist’s ruminations on his trip to Oaxaca with a few of his fellow American Fern Society members. There’s pteridological information, of course, but quite a bit more besides. Sacks writes about Mexican culture in general, varieties of peppers, the history of chocolate, the Aztecs, the Zapotecs, the specialized expertise of villages, and conquest. In fewer than 160 pages, Sacks’ clear, intelligent writing covers all these topics and more. It’s not by any means a definitive statement on...more
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
a potent read filled with interesting musings, tidbits, and experiences by one of my favorite people alive, dr oliver wolf sacks. i do wish he fused his interests in neurology, hallucinations, mind-altering substances, with his thoughts concerning the oaxaca trip--he points out a multitude of times on how his fellow traveling buddies seem to 'merge' minds (mathematical with botanical, illustrative with systematic, etc.) so it would have been a tasty treat to see how his own work informs his expe...more
Jul 12, 2012
Xirxe
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
permanent,
reiseberichte
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 unterschiedlichen F...more
Der Name ist Programm: Alle TeilnehmerInnen sind FarnliebhaberInnen und Oaxaca ist bekannt für seine große Vielfalt an sehr unterschiedlichen F...more
I admit it. I'm a geek. I picked this book up for a few reasons: I have enjoyed Oliver Sacks's books on neurology, I have fond memories of a trip to Oaxaca, and I am a plant-nerd. There are plenty of things I appreciated about this journal. Mainly I get inspired by all the interdisciplinary connections that are made. It's not about ferns. It's more about belonging. Sacks finds his place within a subculture of fern enthusiasts. I'm happy that he found people who share his passion. But DIAL IT BAC...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 have done...more
Jul 27, 2011
Abby
added it
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.....
This was an easy, interesting read about Sacks' week-long sojourn through Oaxaca. He does not just talk about ferns but also about the people, vibe, overall environment, and food. This book really is his transcribed journal, with a few added historical tidbits, and so the topics wander as new things catch his eye. It's not important to remember exact details from this but more of the overall feel of the journey.
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.
It was only toward the end that Sachs seemed to finally fall under the spell of this amazing, magical region of Mexico. Granted, he was there with a bunch of fern fanatics collecting specimens and looking mostly at plants, but still.
Despite his slow response to Oaxaca, it is nice to read in some detail about the landscape of the area.
Despite his slow response to Oaxaca, it is nice to read in some detail about the landscape of the area.
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.
Fun, largely pointless little book. Only because it was written by Oliver Sacks did this barely edited travel journal ever see the light of day. Read it for a glimpse into Sacks' brain and a look inside the world of fern fanatics, but don't expect much more than that.
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...
I liked that the focus wasn't on ferns, but on the whole Oaxaca experience. Full of fun little tidbits on ferns, naturalism, Mexican history, and just the all around ambiance. Interesting bits on the camaraderie of botanists and the making of friends. Complete with a the occasional picture and a sense of exploration and discovery. A bit boring at times, but a pleasant read.
The first book I read from Oliver Sacks was "Island of the Colorblind" which was a bit more interesting than this one. Sacks takes quite a bit from 'Luis', one of the tour guides for the troupe of fern-fans that traveled with Sacks to Oaxaca to see the variety of ferns growing there. I would really like to hear more from Luis - as the most interesting parts of this book have nothing to do with fern varieties, but rather are associated with Luis' narrative of the history of the Oaxaca area.
Fans o...more
Fans o...more
Mar 20, 2011
Skylinebal
added 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.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
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 physician, and E...more
More about Oliver Sacks...
Sacks was the youngest of four children born to a prosperous North London Jewish couple: Sam, a physician, and E...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Jul 26, 2011 07:00pm
I'...more
Jul 26, 2011 08:12pm