Book Review: Jungle

Book Review: Jungle – A Harrowing Story of Survival by Yossi Ghinsberg

A friend leant me this book and I thought that it looked promising. It’s about a young Jewish traveller’s ill planned foray into the Bolivian Jungle with some friends. There is much interpersonal tension, and some creep foreshadowing as the group begins to fragment. Then, an accident happens and the author find himself miraculously alive but very, very alone. It is then that his real adventure begins.

Jungle survival stories are usually great reading and this book did not disappoint. It starts quite slow but the tension starts to get intense by about half way through. Yossi’s ability to survive truly terrible circumstances and not give up when most would have is inspiring. There are also lessons about camaraderie, pride, preparation, and knowing the character of those whom you put your trust in.

I think the biggest thing I learned from this book involves the wisdom of not urinating in one’s pants and then going to sleep unprotected in a rainforest. I don’t want to give away what happens if you do, but let me tell you that is not nice. Read the book if you want to hear why.

The author is an “OK” storyteller but the tale he tells more then makes up for this. I rate the book 3.9 ninja stars out of 5.