Status
Available
Collection
Publication
National Geographic (2002)
Description
Oliver Sacks is most famous for his studies of the human mind: insightful and beautifully characterised portraits of those experiencing complex neurological conditions. However, he has another scientific passion: the fern.Since childhood Oliver has been fascinated by the ability of these primitive plants to survive and adapt in many climates. Oaxaca Journal is the enthralling account of his trip, alongside a group of fellow fern enthusiasts, to the beautiful province of Oaxaca, Mexico. Bringing together Oliver's endless curiosity about natural history and the richness of human culture with his sharp eye for detail, this book is a captivating evocation of a place, its plants, its people and its myriad wonders.
User reviews
LibraryThing member iayork
An unedited journal, straight from the heart: After finishing this book, I am convinced that people who develop a passion for something, be it for career, avocation, or hobby, tend to live longer and are more frequently happy, and when they die, they die happy. I bet Oliver Sacks is one of these
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lucky people! Never cease to be fascinated--that is one key to happiness, and Sacks proves to us just that. Without question he is a Renaissance man, keen to share with us his enthusiasm for his profession (evident from his excellent prose in "The man who mistook..." and his other books) but stays open to ideas and activities that pique his interest, one of which is attending and participating in the New York Botanical Garden's Fern Society and embarking on a weeklong trip to Oaxaca, Mexico with a quirky cast of people whose common interest in ferns and other plants, and birds, transcend professions, economic status, nationality, and personal histories. The fact that the book was based on his travel journals that were written at the time of his trip and were left unedited made the reading experience more poignant and powerful. At the end you feel grateful for people who look "beyond the scenery", who take the time "to stop and smell the flowers", and who see the world almost with the same innocence as children, for they are the ones that make life richer, and perhaps even make the world a better place for the rest of us--and for future generations. Show Less
LibraryThing member southernbooklady
This one, my mom badgered me into reading. It's about a trip he took to Mexico in 2002 (I think) with some wild and crazy members of The American Fern Society. Crazy bunch of kids! The trip is a plant-hunting one, apparently Oaxaca is the fern capital of the planet. But Sacks, being the kind of guy
I tell him of the amazing plant drawings I have seen by autistic savants--drawings based purely on perception, without any botanical knowledge. Dick, however, insists that knowledge and understanding only sharpen his perceptions, do not compromise them, so he now sees plants as more interesting and more beautiful, more miraculous, than ever before, and he can convey this, emphasize one aspect or another in a way which would b impossible in a literal drawing or in a photograph, impossible without knowledge and intention.
Sacks also gets into a discussion with others on the trip about what he calls "our primordial need to catagorize, to organize." They wonder how much of this is hardwired into our brain and how much is learned. Animate/inanimate? The reaction of primates to snakes? And he wonders, as they tour some of the more famous ruins, about the geometric patterns that decorated the doors and walls:
...like the visual "fortification" patterns one may get during a migraine. I am reminded of patterns in Navajo rugs, or Moorish arabesques. Normally one of the more silent members of the group--who am I to speak up in so erudite a group?--I am stimulated by the geometric figures around us to speak of neurological form-constants, the geometrical hallucinations of honeycombs, spiderwebs, latticeworks, spirals, or funnels which can appear in starvation, sensory deprivation, or intoxications, as well as migraine.
In the end Sacks is defeated by the complexities and contradictions of the ancient civilization whose ruins he is walking among. How they could be so advanced astronomically, and yest not have invented the wheel. So clever about architecture, but never discovered the compass even though magnetite was so abundant they polished it into mirrors. he realizes that it is futile to compare Rome or Athens or Babylon or Egypt (or India) to such cultures: "...there is no scale, no linearity in such matters. How can one evaluate such a culture? We can only ask whether there were the relationships and activities, the practices and skills, the beliefs and goals, the ideas and dreams, that make for a fully human life."
All in all, typical curious and constantly wondering Sacks.
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he is, wanders from topic to topic, interested in anything and everything. It's a little unusual for Sacks in that the book isn't focused on a particular question or neurological curiosity. It's more meandering than that. There are heated discussions on the relationship of knowledge to perception:I tell him of the amazing plant drawings I have seen by autistic savants--drawings based purely on perception, without any botanical knowledge. Dick, however, insists that knowledge and understanding only sharpen his perceptions, do not compromise them, so he now sees plants as more interesting and more beautiful, more miraculous, than ever before, and he can convey this, emphasize one aspect or another in a way which would b impossible in a literal drawing or in a photograph, impossible without knowledge and intention.
Sacks also gets into a discussion with others on the trip about what he calls "our primordial need to catagorize, to organize." They wonder how much of this is hardwired into our brain and how much is learned. Animate/inanimate? The reaction of primates to snakes? And he wonders, as they tour some of the more famous ruins, about the geometric patterns that decorated the doors and walls:
...like the visual "fortification" patterns one may get during a migraine. I am reminded of patterns in Navajo rugs, or Moorish arabesques. Normally one of the more silent members of the group--who am I to speak up in so erudite a group?--I am stimulated by the geometric figures around us to speak of neurological form-constants, the geometrical hallucinations of honeycombs, spiderwebs, latticeworks, spirals, or funnels which can appear in starvation, sensory deprivation, or intoxications, as well as migraine.
In the end Sacks is defeated by the complexities and contradictions of the ancient civilization whose ruins he is walking among. How they could be so advanced astronomically, and yest not have invented the wheel. So clever about architecture, but never discovered the compass even though magnetite was so abundant they polished it into mirrors. he realizes that it is futile to compare Rome or Athens or Babylon or Egypt (or India) to such cultures: "...there is no scale, no linearity in such matters. How can one evaluate such a culture? We can only ask whether there were the relationships and activities, the practices and skills, the beliefs and goals, the ideas and dreams, that make for a fully human life."
All in all, typical curious and constantly wondering Sacks.
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LibraryThing member LyzzyBee
Acquired via BookCrossing 03 July 2009 - in my NSS parcel at the Unconvention
Not one of Sacks' neuropsychiatry works but a more personal work - a diary of a week-long trip to Mexico to study ferns. A beautiful book in which he both celebrates the ferns themselves and the people - mostly amateurs -
Not one of Sacks' neuropsychiatry works but a more personal work - a diary of a week-long trip to Mexico to study ferns. A beautiful book in which he both celebrates the ferns themselves and the people - mostly amateurs -
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who study and know so much about them. Eccentrics abound in both populations, but Sacks feels included in this quite different world, which he stumbled upon a few years ago, and obviously has a wonderful time. A lovely book which, although registered, I'm going to keep, making it available to loan only to people fairly close to me! Show Less
LibraryThing member gypsysmom
If Oliver Sacks had a fan club I would join. I should probably check out FaceBook to see if he's got an author page there. He is incapable of being uninteresting.
I first became aware of him when I saw the movie Awakening. As portrayed by Robin Williams Dr. Sacks was quirky and compassionate and
Now, with this book, I learn that he loves to travel and investigate different cultures. I also learn that he is an amateur botanist, specializing in very primitive ferns. It's that interest that has brought him to Oaxaca. I was somewhat doubtful if a book about searching out ferns, even one written by Sacks, would be something I would like. But ferns are just the reason to get out and about and explore the history and culture of this region. There are some descriptions of rare ferns and a few illustrations but the majority of the book describes the people and the land.
This book was a perfect antidote to the cold days of January we are experiencing right now. I just wish it had been longer. I could almost feel the warmth of the sun radiating from the pages.
I first became aware of him when I saw the movie Awakening. As portrayed by Robin Williams Dr. Sacks was quirky and compassionate and
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driven. Then when I started reading the books about patients he saw I knew that, indeed, he was quirky and compassionate and driven. But it was probably his book about his childhood, Uncle Tungsten, that caused me to become a devoted fan. His childhood love for chemistry lead him to become the brilliant neurologist that he is.Now, with this book, I learn that he loves to travel and investigate different cultures. I also learn that he is an amateur botanist, specializing in very primitive ferns. It's that interest that has brought him to Oaxaca. I was somewhat doubtful if a book about searching out ferns, even one written by Sacks, would be something I would like. But ferns are just the reason to get out and about and explore the history and culture of this region. There are some descriptions of rare ferns and a few illustrations but the majority of the book describes the people and the land.
This book was a perfect antidote to the cold days of January we are experiencing right now. I just wish it had been longer. I could almost feel the warmth of the sun radiating from the pages.
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LibraryThing member amaraduende
A fun short read about Sacks's trip to Oaxaca with a group of fern enthusiasts. He writes about the plants, the people, the markets, and his experiences having a good time and exploring the world.
LibraryThing member Steve38
It is some time since I read this but as I have just given it away to a friend I thought I had better make a note of it. Something I picked up a few years ago when I took a holiday in Oaxaca and wanted something interesting and relevant to read. Mr Sacks is a well known author and psychologist but
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I didn't know he was also a specialist in ferns and spends time, like a bird watcher, collecting sightings of new species. The book is a record, a journal as the title tells us, of a trip he took to Oaxaca with his group of fernologists (I'm a bit too lazy to look up the real word for a fern specialist). Although I have no knowledge of ferns and no great interest in acquiring any I found Mr Sack's book both interesting and soothing. He writes in a straightforward calm fashion that brings interest to simple events. It tells you that Mr Sacks is by nature and training observant and has the skill and talent to make a telling record of his observations. A good read but not necessarily one that tells you a great deal about Oaxaca except its ferns of course. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sandydog1
Our favorite neurologist goes on vacation and writes a pleasant Mexican travelogue. There's just enough technical botany of non-vascular plants, to make things interesting. Anyone who has gone on a group field trip will relate to this short, memoir.
LibraryThing member William345
A brief tour to the state of Oaxaca Mexico, its Zapotec antiquities, present-day consequences of the so-called Conquest, a look at some of its millennia-old industries, but mostly a lot about the region's astonishingly diverse botany. A primer. Very light, very brief, in no way comprehensive.
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Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member NielsenGW
First of all, this book is about ferns. It’s about people from all walks of life, all educational backgrounds, and all nationalities who love ferns. Oliver Sacks, noted neuroscientist and author, counts himself among their number. He is a legitimate card-carrying member of the American Fern
After reading this one, I wish I could have gone with him on his trip. His description of the people, landscape, and flora of Mexico is delightful and rich. Even if you are bored to death by the thought of a botany book, this one is interesting nonetheless, with bits about anthropology, food, and culture to help space out the plant science. He captures some of the glee of being an amateur scientist. He doesn’t have a research paper to write, or a lab to get back to, or even an agenda at all. He just wants to explore a new place that has a lot of the plants he loves to see and talk about. Being surrounded by others who revel in ferns doesn’t hurt either. It’s a short book for a short trip, and makes for a wonderful afternoon of reading. A quick and enthusiastic read.
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Society. Ferns don’t get a lot of love from supposed plant lovers and botanists. They belong to the plant group Pteridophyta, reproduce by spores, and don’t have flowers. But Sacks loves them all. Some time back, he got to go on a “fern foray” to Oaxaca, Mexico with some fellow enthusiasts from the AFS. Oaxaca Journal takes us with him.After reading this one, I wish I could have gone with him on his trip. His description of the people, landscape, and flora of Mexico is delightful and rich. Even if you are bored to death by the thought of a botany book, this one is interesting nonetheless, with bits about anthropology, food, and culture to help space out the plant science. He captures some of the glee of being an amateur scientist. He doesn’t have a research paper to write, or a lab to get back to, or even an agenda at all. He just wants to explore a new place that has a lot of the plants he loves to see and talk about. Being surrounded by others who revel in ferns doesn’t hurt either. It’s a short book for a short trip, and makes for a wonderful afternoon of reading. A quick and enthusiastic read.
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LibraryThing member austin.sears
Ostensibly this is a diary about a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico to see ferns. The ferns end up being incidental, and Dr. Sacks spends far more time on his insights into his traveling companies, their interests, and the history and culture of the places he visits. It is a very fast and very good read,
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much more interesting than I really expected it to be. Show Less
Language
Original language
English