Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle

ArivetingaccountoftheastonishingexperiencesanddiscoveriesmadebylinguistDanielEverettwhilehelivedwiththePirahã,asmalltribeofAmazonianIndiansincentralBrazil.DanielEverettarrivedamongthePirahãwithhiswifeandthreeyoungchildrenhopingtoconvertthetribetoChristianity.Everettquicklybecameobsessedwiththeirlanguageanditsculturalandlinguisticimplications.ThePirahãhavenocountingsystem,nofixedtermsforcolor,noconceptofwar,andnopersonalproperty.EverettwassoimpressedwiththeirpeacefulwayoflifethatheeventuallylostfaithintheGodhe'dhopedtointroducetothem,andinsteaddevotedhislifetothescienceoflinguistics.Partpassionatememoir,partscientificexploration,Everett'slife-changingtaleisrivetinglookintothenatureoflanguage,thought,andlifeitself.