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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 wildlife. Moreover, Novotny works closely with the indigenous peoples--natives who still hunt food with spear and arrow--involving them in his research and profiting from their deep familiarity with this rugged landscape. As a result, he has many a fascinating tale to tell, and he is a marvelous storyteller. Indeed, this is an unusual and fascinating collection of almost one hundred brief vignettes, adventurous tales, and reflections that illuminate the native culture and what the West can learn from it. Ably translated by David Short, this delightfully engaging book brings to life--with warmth and wisdom--the
place, the people, and the pursuit of knowledge deep in the jungles of New Guinea.
place, the people, and the pursuit of knowledge deep in the jungles of New Guinea.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 14, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 17, 2021
Personal, biased rating: 3.75/5
Objective rating: 3/5
I have had the opportunity to interact with the author both professionally (in the ecology department in Ceske Budejovice) and casually (in the pub setting). I've met quite a few New Guineans and heard many a story, and I dream of visiting the place someday. Hence, I might have read the book with a somewhat different attitude from that of the average reader, which might be more on the objective side of things.
A large part of what I didn't like about the book is the evidently sloppy editorial process it went through. When a book starts off with a typo in the epigraph while quoting Alfred Russel Wallace, you are not the most enticed. This is by far not the only incidence of typos in the book, but there are other editorial choices that ground my gears as I read. For one, commas are highly overused and other punctuation marks are used erroneously. Secondly, I feel like there is a lot that was lost or convoluted in translation. Sometimes, the sentences were just too long and complicated, seemed forced, and were hard to follow.
Moreover, these very long sentences often contrasted strongly with the weirdly extremely short chapters. I understand that the book is a collection of essays and notes/musings, but many of the chapters felt unnecessarily abrupt. Especially in parts 2 (Island of a Thousand Tongues and a Wild, Wild Landscape) and 3 (Old and New Customs of a Tribal Society), where most chapters felt like a tray of plain (albeit very interesting) facts being placed on one's table, with not much contribution from the author (or as much as I'd have liked). On multiple occasions, just as I was settling myself into the premise of one chapter and my curiosity was being piqued, I arrived at the next. I must say though, that this isn't too unexpected, given who the author is. I certainly did not go in expecting a 10-page philosophical essay on Black Jesus. Perhaps part of this is pure envy at the exceptional adventures he has lived.
Other complaints include that the book might be a tough read for those not scientifically inclined (not to mention those with a poor sense of humour). I was also slightly surprised by the kind of paper that was used for the pages---the textbooky sort of glossy paper rather than the typical paper used in novels. But again, I guess that fits well with the academic motif.
Now, my personal rating of the book was definitely lower in the first half, but climbed up in the second (particularly with part 4, about doing science in PNG. Go figure.). And overall, I really enjoyed the book. Aside from the curious, lively, colourful and romantic images that Vojta presents of PNG, the next most notable element of the book is his humour. You're in luck if you're a fan of dry and satirical humour, because the book has truckloads (or should I say, Land Cruiser-loads?). I can't remember the last time I've actually LOLd this much whilst reading a non-comedy. Benson's illustrations certainly helped add flavour, but I wonder about the mantis photo on the cover (of all possible photos!).
I also appreciated the regular parallels drawn between tribes in PNG and in Czechia. It illuminated a unique way of looking at certain things. I like the broad perspective that is given throughout, incorporating history, economics, culture, legend, and of course science. The author's frequent commentaries on missionaries and surveyors, the only other groups of people that pioneered expeditions into mystical lands, were also entertaining and enriching at the same time. Some of the noteworthy chapters are "Buy the Book of Books, we have no other", "They chewed and were of good cheer together...", "The history of one research publication" and "And it was such a beautiful hypothesis".
The book only left me more captivated by PNG than before. I wonder how much things have changed, considering that it's been more than 10 years since the book was published.
Objective rating: 3/5
I have had the opportunity to interact with the author both professionally (in the ecology department in Ceske Budejovice) and casually (in the pub setting). I've met quite a few New Guineans and heard many a story, and I dream of visiting the place someday. Hence, I might have read the book with a somewhat different attitude from that of the average reader, which might be more on the objective side of things.
A large part of what I didn't like about the book is the evidently sloppy editorial process it went through. When a book starts off with a typo in the epigraph while quoting Alfred Russel Wallace, you are not the most enticed. This is by far not the only incidence of typos in the book, but there are other editorial choices that ground my gears as I read. For one, commas are highly overused and other punctuation marks are used erroneously. Secondly, I feel like there is a lot that was lost or convoluted in translation. Sometimes, the sentences were just too long and complicated, seemed forced, and were hard to follow.
Moreover, these very long sentences often contrasted strongly with the weirdly extremely short chapters. I understand that the book is a collection of essays and notes/musings, but many of the chapters felt unnecessarily abrupt. Especially in parts 2 (Island of a Thousand Tongues and a Wild, Wild Landscape) and 3 (Old and New Customs of a Tribal Society), where most chapters felt like a tray of plain (albeit very interesting) facts being placed on one's table, with not much contribution from the author (or as much as I'd have liked). On multiple occasions, just as I was settling myself into the premise of one chapter and my curiosity was being piqued, I arrived at the next. I must say though, that this isn't too unexpected, given who the author is. I certainly did not go in expecting a 10-page philosophical essay on Black Jesus. Perhaps part of this is pure envy at the exceptional adventures he has lived.
Other complaints include that the book might be a tough read for those not scientifically inclined (not to mention those with a poor sense of humour). I was also slightly surprised by the kind of paper that was used for the pages---the textbooky sort of glossy paper rather than the typical paper used in novels. But again, I guess that fits well with the academic motif.
Now, my personal rating of the book was definitely lower in the first half, but climbed up in the second (particularly with part 4, about doing science in PNG. Go figure.). And overall, I really enjoyed the book. Aside from the curious, lively, colourful and romantic images that Vojta presents of PNG, the next most notable element of the book is his humour. You're in luck if you're a fan of dry and satirical humour, because the book has truckloads (or should I say, Land Cruiser-loads?). I can't remember the last time I've actually LOLd this much whilst reading a non-comedy. Benson's illustrations certainly helped add flavour, but I wonder about the mantis photo on the cover (of all possible photos!).
I also appreciated the regular parallels drawn between tribes in PNG and in Czechia. It illuminated a unique way of looking at certain things. I like the broad perspective that is given throughout, incorporating history, economics, culture, legend, and of course science. The author's frequent commentaries on missionaries and surveyors, the only other groups of people that pioneered expeditions into mystical lands, were also entertaining and enriching at the same time. Some of the noteworthy chapters are "Buy the Book of Books, we have no other", "They chewed and were of good cheer together...", "The history of one research publication" and "And it was such a beautiful hypothesis".
The book only left me more captivated by PNG than before. I wonder how much things have changed, considering that it's been more than 10 years since the book was published.
November 19, 2019
Book consists of short stories about lives and customs of local people of Papua New Guinea and what happens when a foreign scientist comes to work and build a research station there. It's written from this scientist perspective and I'm lucky enough to work in his department. The stories nicely complement my conversations with colleagues who are from PNG or have spent a notable amount of time working there. The most important messages from the book, in my opinion, are. Firstly there is no such thing as tropical paradise with birds and butterflies and friendly animals, as pictured in many nature documentaries. Yes, wildlife there is amazing and diverse and definitely worth seeing, but we should stop imagining paradise. Secondly, many comparisons author makes between westerners and PNG people show, that we shouldn't be snobbish and think about their believes and customs as silly or unrealistic. We have equally unrealistic expectations from religion, homeopathy and other "cults" we practice with hope they will bring us something good. And third - tropics are safe, if you are prepared. Just keep in mind, a tourist trip there will be completely different experience than actually working and living there.
My only criticism is probably related with the translation to English. Some sentences are 6-7 lines long, with way too many ideas and jokes tied up together in one mesh. Feels like translator directly put the sentences from Czech to English, without adapting them to language differences. Takes some time to get used to read this style of writing.
Also, pay attention to authors style of humor, it's good, if you come from countries culturally similar to Czech rep. For others - I can definitely see how some people might find it very irritating.
My only criticism is probably related with the translation to English. Some sentences are 6-7 lines long, with way too many ideas and jokes tied up together in one mesh. Feels like translator directly put the sentences from Czech to English, without adapting them to language differences. Takes some time to get used to read this style of writing.
Also, pay attention to authors style of humor, it's good, if you come from countries culturally similar to Czech rep. For others - I can definitely see how some people might find it very irritating.
September 11, 2012
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 page and a half-long! Its all interesting stuff on Guinea alright. Strange number systems, legends of volcano bursts, tales of people landing on the ocean coast... but too short (per chapter that is) to make it a good "book". But I must admit that some sections towards the end were quite nice. Its somewhere mid-way through the book that I looked back at the cover, and realized that the author really meant the title! Maybe my expectation killed the experience of his Note-book. Well, its over now! I would really recommend this book to anyone who has been to PNG or is soon expected to go there. Will be great reading on the flight/ship. But others? Hmm..
March 10, 2010
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 text, I have to say that the illustrations are beautiful, and used to great effect in the book. It's not too often that I really notice book design - but this is such a well done little volume, I had to take note. And hurray for the index, which is often lacking in this kind of book.
I was trying to think of what other books or writers this book is comparable to, and I realized that it reminds me (favorably) of Stephen Jay Gould's old "Natural History" columns and some of his collected works.
All I can add is "more, please".
Apart from the text, I have to say that the illustrations are beautiful, and used to great effect in the book. It's not too often that I really notice book design - but this is such a well done little volume, I had to take note. And hurray for the index, which is often lacking in this kind of book.
I was trying to think of what other books or writers this book is comparable to, and I realized that it reminds me (favorably) of Stephen Jay Gould's old "Natural History" columns and some of his collected works.
All I can add is "more, please".
September 27, 2017
The blurb for this book on goodreads describes it as "exhilarating". It isn't. It's rather a charming, dryly witty series of fragmentary essays about life in the New Guinea bush, with even the exhilarating episodes described in a very detached way. It wavers between 3 and 4 stars for me; the subject matter is fascinating and the author's observations acute and insightful but, with each mini-essay being only about 3 pages long, it gets quite relentless and monotonous when read all in one go.
December 8, 2020
This is among the most entertaining science books I've read. We owe a lot to the translator as well as the author. I often open this book to reread bits because wherever it falls open, I find something worth reading. It purports to be about the New Guinea culture, but observations about our western culture,and the culture of scientists specifically, are made in the exact same manner. Novotny's tongue-in-cheek style is great fun, and illuminating.
April 22, 2022
This is a truly charming book with only minor flaws. The first half are essay-style musings from the author comparing New Guinea and European cultures with an amused detachment. These are humorous and thought-provoking and marred only by the promise of more stories than he tells, and some abrupt endings that felt like falling off a cliff. (He footnotes where you can find the details of one promised tale, and does get around to giving the full story of the battle between research stations later in the book. However, when an essay feels like it's building toward great anecdata, and only the barest hint of one is provided, it makes you doubt the thesis somewhat.)
The second half of the book deals more with his biological research in Papua New Guinea, although still with the wry observations. Here he provides commentary on the establishment of science as well, as framed within his experiences in the tropics. There are more stories here, making it more fun and enjoyable a read.
I don't know who to blame for this but: some of the sentences in this book were convoluted to the unintelligible point where I'd read them three times and then give up and move on.
This book very much advanced my dicey and fractured understanding of New Guinea, while also being a pleasure to read.
The second half of the book deals more with his biological research in Papua New Guinea, although still with the wry observations. Here he provides commentary on the establishment of science as well, as framed within his experiences in the tropics. There are more stories here, making it more fun and enjoyable a read.
I don't know who to blame for this but: some of the sentences in this book were convoluted to the unintelligible point where I'd read them three times and then give up and move on.
This book very much advanced my dicey and fractured understanding of New Guinea, while also being a pleasure to read.
November 6, 2012
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 they cover Paleontology, Botany, Entomology and Zoology... now I just need a mineralogical book to read...
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July 26, 2012This 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.
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September 19, 2011Salah 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
September 30, 2010
fantastic natural history of new guinea. very comprehensive as far as these things go.
June 15, 2012
Excellent book full of wit and humor.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews