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  • The Wayfinders

  • Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World
  • Written by: Wade Davis
  • Narrated by: Tom Perkins
  • Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (36 ratings)

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The Wayfinders

Written by: Wade Davis
Narrated by: Tom Perkins
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Publisher's Summary

Every culture is a unique answer to a fundamental question: What does it mean to be human and alive? In The Wayfinders, renowned anthropologist, winner of the prestigious Samuel Johnson Prize, and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis leads us on a thrilling journey to celebrate the wisdom of the world's indigenous cultures.

In Polynesia, we set sail with navigators whose ancestors settled the Pacific 10 centuries before Christ. In the Amazon, we meet the descendants of a true lost civilization, the Peoples of the Anaconda. In the Andes, we discover that the earth really is alive, while in Australia we experience Dreamtime, the all-embracing philosophy of the first humans to walk out of Africa. We then travel to Nepal, where we encounter a wisdom hero, a Bodhisattva, who emerges from 45 years of Buddhist retreat and solitude. And, finally, we settle in Borneo, where the last rain forest nomads struggle to survive.

Understanding the lessons of this journey will be our mission for the next century. For at risk is the human legacy - a vast archive of knowledge and expertise, a catalog of the imagination. Rediscovering a new appreciation for the diversity of the human spirit, as expressed by culture, is among the central challenges of our time.

©2009 Wade Davis (P)2017 Tantor

What listeners say about The Wayfinders

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Absolutely fascinating!

Wade Davis connects historical, anthropological, sociological, and cultural facts to bring to life the miraculous civilizations from past to present, and how they lived, died and functioned. He explains in clear and vibrant details things that make a huge difference in our understanding of their cultures and how misunderstood and wrong many modern interpretations are, and the colossal impact colonization, wars, and other elements have affected peoples around the world.
He is a lively narrator with an excellent sense of humor, and also is able to clearly deliver the message of why things went awry in many cases, and how our world is in peril due to misunderstandings of how others relate to their environments.
I wish every ambassador and politician listened to Prof. Davis to understand the impact of decisions they make on places they know nothing about, because of arrogance, false assumptions, ignorance, and greed. It is eye opening.
Puts many things in perspective with lots of "aha" moments.
Masterful.

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Praise for the author

Wade Davis is a global treasure. His work should be celebrated for centuries. Highly recommended!

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An important dissection of how and why the modern culture fails to fulfill

Crucial information and stories were told to uncover the rot hidden behind the metallic shine of modern culture. My only issue is that without prior knowledge of and exposure to various worldly cultures, I felt like there was a lot of “educated” jargon that distorted the main messages. Some cultures and anecdotes were mentioned that seemed to confuse me more than clarify or lead to a conclusion. Overall amazing information and story telling!

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  • Azura S
  • 2018-10-26

A Shocking Tale Of The Demise Of Humanity

This is an incredible book and if the narration is a little dry, it is worth putting up with. It looks at the cost of human "progress" as more than half of the earth's languages will be shed in the next 2 decades. One is lost every fortnight! It's a well put together tale but lacks a narrative that returns to the "big picture" after it turns to specific case studies. I'd happily learn more if it was available. Highly recommended.

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  • Jeffery Culver
  • 2018-10-03

Great content.

The content is great however I found the narration to be a bit stilted and stiff.

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  • Theresa Lindenau
  • 2019-10-01

Powerful

I would recommend this book to anyone who feels trapped by modern culture. Wade Davis shares his survey of the ways of indigenous people all around the world and reveals the depth that the soul is capable of achieving when life is lived in harmony with the earth.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2018-08-24

so much I didn't know!

I absolutely love it. it helps put life in perspective and encourages introspective thought. it's great for a short road trip.

1 person found this helpful

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  • Julian Orr
  • 2023-03-09

Powerful and mind changing

Great for challenging a lot of my own thinking or automated thinking. Would’ve been nice to have Wade himself reading the book.

This is probably an audiobook that I will go back and listen to you again in the future.

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  • Mingster
  • 2023-02-13

A critical part of our existence

It’s a short and very enjoyable book that we ought to all read.

It is depressing that we erased so much of our history because of ignorance, arrogance, selfishness, and I don’t know, evil?

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2023-01-25

Perspective

Reading The Wayfinders provides a needed perspective of man’s place in the world and fragile claim on life and well-being. Many of our less civilized brethren on the planet, it would seem, have a more secure claim on peace and security than the “more prosperous” and “educated” inhabitants of modernity.
Read this book and open your eyes.

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  • ThunderEagle
  • 2022-12-30

Good

Great book. Relevant to current day cultural and climate issues. Good reader too. Two thumbs up