Espresso With the Headhunters [Hardcover]

John Wassner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2001

The indigenous people of Borneo use blowpipes and poisoned arrows. They wear "pan-handle" haircuts, live in communal dwellings and some tribes have mastered the art of making themselves "invisible" in the jungle. But above all, they have a reputation as fearsome headhunters. Having cast aside his Armani jeans and bought up all the jungle equipment he could find, the author sets off to experience and explore the wilds of Borneo, one of the last relatively unknown places on earth. His only concern: whether he would be able to find a decent cup of espresso in the jungle. But life in the wilderness turns out to be quite agreeable - with wonderful (if unusual) food, all-night longhouse parties, drunken natives and breathtaking surroundings. In a journey that took 12 months of planning and preparation, the author takes on the mighty Rajang river, travelling up its many tributaries into the heart of Borneo - visiting remote longhouses, isolated frontier towns, government outposts, logging camps and nomadic tribes deep in the jungle.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Summersdale (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840241373
• ISBN-13: 978-1840241372
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,170,441 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Travel > Asia > Indonesia > Borneo

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read, August 8, 2006

By 

Rocky - See all my reviews

This review is from: Espresso With the Headhunters (Hardcover)

So I bought this book for like $2.50 at a book sale because I thought it looked interesting and I like buying books for only $2.50. So a few days later I started reading it. It was surprisingly funny and informative. It didn't quite compare to the works of Wade Davis, but I enjoyed seeing the jungles of Borneo from the perspective of a non-scientist, the author is actually in the advertising business. His struggles were funny, informative, and sometimes very sad as he visits a disappearing people. It's a short read, definitely pick it up if you like travel or anthropology books, you'll be better for it.