I found this book on the markdown rack at Books a Million, a chain that is more "earthy" than Barnes and Noble, but have a better selection, and certainly better markdown books. I took a chance, and it turned out to be an excellent $3 buy.
David Grann, who writes for the New Yorker, picks up the story of Percy Fawcett, an explorer that was convinced that there was a "lost city" in the Amazon Basin. He was able to write this story from a few meticulously written journals that were located, and put the pieces together.
Essentially, it revolves around the obsession created from the legend of El Dorado that was transported back to the Old World several centuries before Percy Fawcett gains entrance into the world. It is filled with the tales of high adventure, of conquest and discovery, something that seems to be somewhat lacking in our world today. This is not to say that we should foolishly toss our lives into the cauldron without being safe, but rather rediscovering the same "conquest" mindedness that laid out the western world in the centuries it took to do so.
Fawcettt's singular focus would ultimately kill him, and bring much derision. However, it seems as the derision comes from those who would rather succeed at something banal than to die trying something magnificient. ¡Viva el aventurero!
This book belongs in every home in America.
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