 
A Land of Ghosts: The Braided Lives of People and the Forest in Far Western Amazonia
Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 9
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 On: 2007-12-12
Modern day botanist Dr. Campbells account of thirty years in this remote Amazon rainforest is both a captivating read of adventure and more importantly a daunting paradigm of what has happened to this esoteric land.
Every molecule of the natural, physical and anthropological world is magically transformed with zesty and passionate prose. The authors own escapades with jaguars, caimans and deadly snakes, to legends of tribes with tails and spirits with backward feet leaves the reader mesmerized.
Blend historical blunders of rubber exploitation, cattle farms, slavery, the Trans-Amazon Highway, etc. with the resulting decimation of native populations by disease and dilution of heritage, this book is a soothsayer of how humankind has not been so kind.
Everyone and everything loses from self-righteous and mindless practices such as occurred here. The outcome are ghosts with haunting apparitions from the past.
 On: 2007-10-09
I wouldnt mind reviewing this book but I still havent recieved it yet. Its now a month since you posted it, perhaps you could please chase it up. Thankyou
Paul Lightfoot
On: 2006-09-08
Though there are many books that describe nature in the Amazon, David Campbell definitely is among the top writers on it. In this book he offers, from start to finish, a very interesting mix between storytelling with lyrical qualities and scientific analysis with social commentary.
He is a scientist, focused on botany, and his knowledge of all aspects of science related to the forest are outstanding. We learn about the strategies employed by frogs to reproduce, or by snakes to identify prey, or by trees to attach polen to beetles. While learning about the science behind such activities and how they evolved, the author leads the reader through his travel log, meeting people and species and learning much about the history of the region he is visiting.
Besides all the interesting science, the author also provides a very deep character description of the people who live in this remote frontier. The stories range from rubber tappers left over from a period of abundance, to old indians who became westernized, to occupants moving there from the south due to government incentives. Each has a story and a way to deal with the challenges of the forest; some have a way to prosper in the exact same circumstances in which others fail. Some characters are presented as integrated in the forest, some as aliens beaten by the forest, some as leaders beating the forest.
Most amazing than all the history, social aspects and science however are the narrative abilities of the author. The book is a work of art, as it becomes clear that every word has been hand picked and every metaphor was chosen to provide the reader with the correct image, texture, taste, sound and smell of the forest. Reading is an experience of immersion and is to be savoured as very few books provide such a deep experience. It becomes quite clear to anyone reading the book that the author has a deep connection with his subject, much beyond science.
This book is the very best description of the Amazon I have encountered, written with gusto. It is the kind of book you will wish you had written. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the region, in nature writing or in popular science.
On: 2005-07-14
This book delivered much more than I expected. The author is a scientist, not just a traveler. Each observation went several steps deeper into the biology and history than typical with this kind of book. The story was made much richer by these details.
It is true that the vocabulary was a bit advanced. However, I never bothered to check the dictionary, and it didnt hurt the narrative.
Highly recommended.
On: 2005-07-06
A Land of Ghosts is a splendid journey through Amazonian Brazil. Infused with enlightened historical, ecological, and anthropological perspective, Campbell stands alone in his ability to fuse eloquent science writing with a tale of adventure. At times haunting, this book reveals the deep causes of rainforest destruction in the region. However, this book presents these causes in a unique way, and, at least for me, marks a new style of conservation advocation. Indeed, a refreshing one. If you have any interest in tropical ecology, and like works by such authors as David Quammen or Tim Flannery you will love this brilliant work.
On: 2005-07-05
A Land of Ghosts is a splendid journey through Amazonian Brazil. Infused with enlightened historical, ecological, and anthropological perspective, Campbell stands alone in his ability to fuse eloquent science writing with a tale of adventure. At times haunting, this book reveals the deep causes of rainforest destruction in the region. However, this book presents these causes in a unique way, and, at least for me, marks a new style of conservation advocation. Indeed, a refreshing one. If you have any interest in tropical ecology, and like works by such authors as David Quammen or Tim Flannery you will love this brilliant work.
 On: 2005-06-03
The "good" is that there are some very interesting stories in the book. The "bad" is that, in my opinion, it rambles in some places, especially in the last half of the book. Another "bad" is that the author uses a lot of uncommon words that only someone with an incredible vocabulary would understant. Example: page 127 (picked at random)uses the words: Flummoxed, estivation, tropeiro, mealy, prehensile, transect, naunce, anthocyanins, cotyledoms, transect, bromeliads. Trying to get through that for over 200 pages was a workout for me. The author also uses meters and hectars, not feet and acres, so distances and area are hard to understand. In addition he uses a lot of Portuguese words. There is a Portuguese glossary in the back if you dont mind flipping back and forth while you read, which I dont take the time to do. The author is an excellent writer, too bad it is so difficult to read.
On: 2005-04-19
If you enjoy armchair traveling, like superb writing and a good story - this is the book. Mr. Campbells intimacy with this part of the world, its history and the story of the people who live there, is beautifully told. A pleasure from start to finish.
On: 2005-03-15
This is a terrific book. And what a vocabulary! I had to refer to the Oxford English Dictionary at least once on just about every page.
On: 2005-02-23
This book should be listed as a book of poetry. Every word has been perfectly chosen. It reads like honey. Campbell captures what working and doing research in the Amazon is really like. He knows and understands the Amazon better than any person I know.
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