Yanomamo - The Last Days Of Eden [Paperback]

Napoleon A. Chagnon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 16, 1992

Chagnon first made contact with the Yanomamö, a now-imperiled tribe of Amazon Indians, in 1964. He gives an unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary people in this eloquent, meticulously detailed, and often passionate book. Foreword by Edward O. Wilson; Index; maps; illustrations and photographs by the Author.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (October 16, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156996820
• ISBN-13: 978-0156996822
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #317,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-Written, Informative, and Accessible to Non-Specialists, August 24, 1999

By 

Stefan Herpel - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yanomamo - The Last Days Of Eden (Paperback)

It is unusual for an anthropologist to be able to write jargon-free English, and to do so in a way that is accessible and interesting to a general reader. Chagnon accomplishes this and more in this fascinating account of his experiences among the Yanomamo tribe in Venezuela over a 30-year period. Chagnon comes across as somebody who cares deeply about the Yanomamo, but who will not permit that passion to affect his anthropological analyses. He therefore does not shrink from drawing conclusions about Yanonamo culture that might offend those who would romanticize them. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anybody who has an interest in tribal culture. It is probably the best book of its kind for the non-specialist that I have ever read.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yanomam¿: The Last Days of Eden, June 9, 2004

By 

Alex Flumenbaum (Los Angeles, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yanomamo - The Last Days Of Eden (Paperback)

My name is Alex Flumenbaum and I'm a freshman at New Roads High School. For my honors World Civilizations class I read the book Yanomamo; The Last Days of Eden by Napoleon A. Chagnon. Reading this book was both an interesting and yet controversial experience. I also learned a lot in reading this book. Between the borders of Brazil and Venezuela lived the tribe of the Yanomamo. They are a very unusual Amazon tribe simply because they are violent and in some peoples eyes, savage. They also tend to isolate themselves from other tribes. But what is interesting about this book is that it shows a completely different side of a tribe that everyone thinks is a savage tribe. It shows how clever the tribe is when it survives on its own without the help of the outside world. In the 1960's Napoleon went to live and study the tribe of the Yanomamo. Despite the fact that he showed people a totally new perspective on this particular tribe, I feel that his view of the tribe is somewhat off. I feel that he, in a way, looked down his nose at the tribe and sort of looked at them as if they were lower and less advanced than he was. This attitude was clear in my mind throughout the book despite the interesting facts the book included. This book talks about the many lifestyles and habits of the Yanomamo. It talks about the methods one would have to use in order to keep the people of tribe from begging. Because they are a very curious people they are constantly begging to try things. One must be firm and never give anything away because once you do; you will constantly have people begging. It also talks about its rituals before a war or raid. If someone died in a previous raid or when their tribe was raided their ashes were kept and then eaten by the deceased's brother, husband, son, or father. They do this to give the raider strength for the raid. Although they are very advanced for hunter gatherers, their perception of women is not very good. There have been several occasions where Yanomamo men have killed their wife with arrows. Despite these flaws the Yanomamo are a very advanced, clever, and actually a very interesting tribe and I learned a lot reading it. It is a very complicated book and what I feel controversial. It is a good book and I definitely recommend this book to read.

20 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars How do the Yanamamo see Chagnon?, March 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Yanomamo - The Last Days Of Eden (Paperback)

Chagnon's book is one of the most widely read ethnographies of tribal and animistic people. In it you read how Chagnon sees the Yanamamo. If you want to read how the Yanamamo see Chagnon and other 'nabas' read "Spirit of the Rainforest" by Mark Andrew Ritchie. It is written from the perspective of a Yanamamo shaman. You will discover things not covered in Chagnon's work.