In 1995, Stephen Kirkpatrick joined a five-man expedition into the remote jungles of the Peruvian Amazon. Kirkpatrick's assignment was to document an area of the rainforest that had never before been photographed, nor by most accounts, ever explored by white men. Within hours of their departure, an inaccurate map and a series of bad decisions leave the group hopelessly lost in the depths of the Amazon jungle. What began as a career-making photo expedition quickly turned into a desperate struggle for survival. The five men battle poisonous reptiles, hungry bugs, torrential rains, brutal heat, and an unforgiving landscape in an attempt to find their way back to civilization. They soon learn that survival is not only a physical, but a mental and spiritual challenge as well. "Lost in the Amazon" is a gripping, sometimes humorous, and ultimately inspirational story about the human drive to survive, and about clinging to faith in the worst circumstances imaginable.
While this book could be subtitled, "how not to plan and execute an expedition," Mr. Kirkpatrick does an excellent job of being transparent and real with the reader about what happened, how he felt about it. Many authors might have been tempted to write this story in such a way as to make themselves the hero, but Kirkpatrick is brutally honest with his failures and doubts - all of which lends an air of credibility to the story. It's apparent that Mr. Mahoney below is allowing his Christophobia to cloud his view of the story. What he refers to as "Christian Fundamentalism" could only be called such by someone with very little understanding of Christianity or Fundamentalism. And the "constant whining about the heat, the bugs"...etcetera is called narrative - it helps the reader FEEL the story. It's something Kirkpatrick does very well. As one who has spent time in the jungle, I can say that his descriptions of it are accurate and compelling. Makes me want to pack my gear!
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.