Throwim' Way Leg: Tree-Kangaroos, Possums, and Penis Gourds @ richardeward.com

Throwim' Way Leg: Tree-Kangaroos, Possums, and Penis Gourds
by Tim Flannery
from Grove Press

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

• Hey! This is a great book!
  I had never heard of this book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is about a biologists experiences over years in New Guinea. The animals were interesting, but the stars of the show were the people. Flannery has the ability to see beyond the obvious in people and recognize intelligence, kindness, leadership where they exist not where you expect them to exist. It is also a good primer to today's New Guinea, it's culture, geography, and politics.

• Interesting story - biological and anthropological
  Flannery is the Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Museum. This book recounts several of his expeditions in Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya in the 80s and 90s.
  He's the opposite to Douglas Adams. In approaching some similar topics in his `Last Chance to See' Adams was primarily a writer. Flannery is primarily a biologist - the writing came second. Thus there's not the wit, and the style is often understated. In some cases this is quite charming as he pretty casually relates some harrowing... more info

• Amazing scientist, unexceptional writer.
  Without a doubt Tim Flannery ranks with the world's greatest scientist/explorers. He has a wealth of fascinating and valuable tales to tell from his travels to New Guinea. However, the book has little coherent structure. It's just a series of (mostly) unrelated stories, like he might recount over dinner. The details of his trips are incredible, but by the time I was half way through, I began losing my interest and felt I was re-reading previous passages.

• Breathtaking, humorous and poignant
  Flannery is one of a kind. He is to New Guinea what Perry and Amundson are to the poles, a first-comer .... one of the first to explore and document the stone age peoples of the mysterious island wilderness in the last days of its age of innocence.
  Yes, there are cannibals, with bones in their noses and gourds worn on their penis, yet Flannery somehow manages to get the reader to empathize with these people, to understand their foibles and traditions, and to feel regret that their ancient ways are... more info

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