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Wade Davis

    December 14, 1953

    Wade Davis is described as a rare combination of scientist, scholar, poet, and passionate defender of all of life's diversity. His extensive work as an ethnographer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker has taken him to remote corners of the globe, exploring the intricate connections between people and nature. Through fieldwork and detailed writing, he unveils the profound mysteries of indigenous cultures and endangered ecosystems. His work prompts readers to reflect on our role in the world and the importance of preserving biodiversity and cultural richness for future generations.

    Grand Canyon
    Magdalena
    One River
    Vine of the Soul: Medicine Men, Their Plants and Rituals in the Colombian Amazonia
    The Lost Amazon
    Magdalena
    • 2024

      A timely and eclectic collection from one of the foremost thinkers of our time, "a powerful, penetrating and immensely knowledgeable writer" (The Guardian). The essays in this collection came about during the unhurried months when one who had traveled incessantly was obliged to stay still, even as events flared on all sides in a world that never stops moving. Wade Davis brings his unique cultural perspective to such varied topics as the demonization of coca, the sacred plant of the Inca; the Great War and the birth of modernity; the British conquest of Everest; the endless conflict in the Middle East; reaching beyond climate fear and trepidation; on the meaning of the sacred. His essay, "The Unraveling of America," first published in Rolling Stone, attracted five million readers and generated 362 million social media impressions. Media interest in the story was sustained over many weeks, with interview requests coming in from 23 countries. The anthropological lens, as Davis demonstrates, reveals what lies beneath the surface of things, allowing us to see, and to seek, the wisdom of the middle way, a perspective of promise and hope that all of the essays in this collection aspire to convey.

      Beneath the Surface of Things
    • 2023

      Due to extreme drought and chronic overuse, the Colorado River and all those who depend on its waters are in peril. During a pivotal moment in the river's lifespan, acclaimed author Wade Davis tells the story of America's Nile. Blending natural and cultural history, geology and conservation, his account reveals the side effects of our centuries-old quest for progress, and presents an opportunity to learn from past mistakes and foster the rebirth of one of the world's most important rivers.

      River Notes
    • 2021

      Magdalena

      River of Dreams: A Story of Colombia

      • 448 pages
      • 16 hours of reading
      4.7(30)Add rating

      The narrative explores the Río Magdalena, a vital river in Colombia, revealing its significance in shaping the country's intricate history and culture. Wade Davis, an acclaimed author and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, delves into the river's role in the lives of its people and the environmental challenges they face. Through rich storytelling, the book highlights the interplay between nature and society, offering insights into Colombia's evolving identity and the resilience of its communities.

      Magdalena
    • 2020

      A captivating new book from Wade Davis--award-winning, best-selling author and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence for more than a decade--that brings vividly to life the story of the great Río Magdalena, illuminating Colombia's complex past, present, and future Travelers often become enchanted with the first country that captures their hearts and gives them license to be free. For Wade Davis, it was Colombia. Now in a masterly new book, Davis tells of his travels on the mighty Magdalena, the river that made possible the nation. Along the way, he finds a people who have overcome years of conflict precisely because of their character, informed by an enduring spirit of place, and a deep love of a land that is home to the greatest ecological and geographical diversity on the planet. Only in Colombia can a traveler wash ashore in a coastal desert, follow waterways through wetlands as wide as the sky, ascend narrow tracks through dense tropical forests, and reach verdant Andean valleys rising to soaring ice-clad summits.

      Magdalena
    • 2016

      Explore the uncharted Amazon with acclaimed botanist and pioneering Amazonian explorer, Richard Evans Schultes, guided by an intimate narrative that supplements his photography of indigenous tribes, hallucinogenic plants, stunning vistas, and much more.

      The Lost Amazon
    • 2015

      The Sacred Headwaters

      • 160 pages
      • 6 hours of reading

      In The Sacred Headwaters, a collection of photographs by Carr Clifton and members of the International League of Conservation Photographers - including Claudio Contreras, Paul Colangelo, and Wade Davis - portray the splendour of the region. These photographs are supplemented by images from other professionals who have worked here, including Sarah Leen of the National Geographic.

      The Sacred Headwaters
    • 2011

      Into The Silence

      • 672 pages
      • 24 hours of reading
      4.3(138)Add rating

      The price of life is death' For Mallory, as for all of his generation, death was but a frail barrier that men crossed, smiling and gallant, every day'. In a monumental work of history and adventure, Davis asks not whether George Mallory was the first to reach the summit of Everest, but rather why he kept climbing on that fateful day.

      Into The Silence
    • 2010

      Exploring diverse landscapes from British Columbia to the Arctic and Amazon, the book delves into the connection between nature and the human spirit. Through essays and stories, it reflects on the wisdom gained from the land and the yearning for deeper understanding, highlighting the emotional and spiritual impacts of these experiences. The narrative emphasizes the consequences of losing touch with this connection, offering a poignant look at the interplay between environment and identity.

      Shadows in the Sun: Travels to Landscapes of Spirit and Desire
    • 2009

      The Wayfinders

      • 262 pages
      • 10 hours of reading
      4.2(3452)Add rating

      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 ten 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 forty-five 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.

      The Wayfinders
    • 2008

      Grand Canyon

      River at Risk

      • 167 pages
      • 6 hours of reading
      4.5(15)Add rating

      Set against the majestic backdrop of one of the world's natural wonders, this book is a stunning photographic journey along the Colorado River, with commentary from river expert and acclaimed author Wade Davis.

      Grand Canyon