John Darnton

I took this book on a trip from Canada all the way down to Florida. I tried to read it a few times during the trip. Took it to the beach. Wasn't interested. The first few chapters are just not that very good. Upon returning to Canada, I picked it up again. Slowly but surely, the book gets better. More intriguing. It's not a book for the intellectual person. It's a book for the average Joe who loves a good story and knows something is rotten and somebody is getting away with murder. The shifting back and forth of the parallel narratives gets tiring somewhat. I enjoyed very much the last few chapters. I found them amazing. They are a beautifully written crescendo. The story about the shaman is just pure poetry. I read it 3 times. For a few minutes, I almost became a believer of what Mr. Darwin claims to be the truth of our origins as a species.… (more)