Background from Stephen King on his novel 11/22/63.
http://youtu.be/MVQxh79ZWtA

So what book are we reading next guys?!?!

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWIMzN4mk8U&feature=youtube_gdata_player "
Check this out guys!

Mike, youre twisted. And to Elliot, that's what I talked about in my first post! It's crazy to think that we live in the society that we live in while there are natives in other parts of the world that are completely secluded from our way of life. In the book, its bizarre to read about the New Guinea natives because their lifestyle seems so alien. For example, the way the dress (or lack of clothing I guess...) and their obsession with war seems so ancient. The chapter about the native lifestyle and how they were always starting wars as a ritual, and they cut of girls' fingers, doesn't even compare to the western world. It's do sad to think that, however "barbaric" and uncivilized the natives may have been, that the western world was bound to corrupt them.Shangri-La was a secluded valley and the people were protected from the western world. It's disheartening to think about how people felt the need to intrude on their lives just because they felt that they needed to be saved or helped.

Finished the book guys!! The story ended happily ever after, of course. For the Americans anyway. The natives and their culture seemed to spiral after the Americans left a stamp in the valley. As the author put it, the West left on Shangri-La what they were most famous for; inflation and disease. This reminded me of the White Mans Burden, and found it interesting that the aphorism portrays whites as the victims, but its really the minorities who get the burden (laid/layed)? upon them. I was intrigued that their (natives) discovery prompted Christian missionaries to establish a community there. That shows me that if you don't find Christianity, (like the natives who hadn't found it, in fact they didn't even know or care for its existence), Christianity will find you.
ANYWHO, hoped you guys enjoyed the book as much as I did. Thanks for letting me join!
What are your feelings for the natives? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT PENIS GOURD ON PAGE 302!?!?

I just finished Chapter 24. Up until now, I thought that the book had reached its pinnacle of obstacles and overall exhilaration. I was mind-blown with the gliders discrete importance as a tool of the Military. Haha, I thought it was amazing that that's what they are going to use!! Love the picture, it looks so... advanced...Can't wait until they get rescued!
Okay, I must admit, I strongly admire Walter's anthropologic observations. He has insightful conclusions about the natives racially, culturally, and religiously. Walter is redeeming himself as a character in my mind and is growing as a major component of the appeal of the story and the success of the mission.
Also, pictures add so much authenticity to the book! I love visual representations of words and the pictures made the words so much more enjoyable. What do you think is the most interesting aspect of the story? Though, Questions, Oppositions? Enjoy reading!!

So as I was reading the chapter about the Filipino soldiers, I remembered hearing my dad say that my Grandpa had been in WWII in the Philippines. I asked him about this again and turns out he was a guerrilla soldier! I also asked one of my aunts about it and her late husband was also a guerrilla soldier. When I asked them if they had ever heard of the story of the rescue mission of Shangri-La, they both had no previous knowledge about it. The only thing they were familiar with that has been mentioned in the book was the name Douglas MacArthur, the American General and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army at the time. Anyways, I think it's pretty cool that my grandpa and uncle were guerrilla soldiers, so I thought I'd share this with you guys:) Happy Reading! Hal-loak-nak!

Hey guys what page should we read to exactly? I'm on page 195 right now...

Should have posted this a little earlier... But check out the footage!!! Wonder where the rest is...
http://youtu.be/qM6cW8ylzUQ

I have to say that reading about Walter (the paraptrooper) was agrivating because i felt his annoyance with being out of the action. After having his father fighting in the army and growing up in the philipines with this same profession as his goal, it must be terrible being stranded on Hollandia with nothing to do. Its good he gets to drop into the Baliem valley to help save MAggie McCollom and Decker, but it is still not the kind of action that he had always wished for. I hope that later in his life during the war he gets the chance to fight like he wants to.

OH HEY! Figured out how to post;)

First off, Filipino sa kapurihan magpakailanman!!! That means Filipino pride foreverrr! So sad that I even though I'm 100% Filipino, I had to google translate that:( Wish I was fluent in Tagalog.

ANYWAYS! Lost in Shangri-La= great book. Usually I hate books based on history and wars and all that jazz, but I'm hooked on this one! Like Mike and Elliot both said, I like how Zuckoff explains each character to the point of me feeling like I've known them my whole life. When I reached the part in the book about the crash scene, I actually got really depressed. I had just been introduced to the character and gotten to know their personal life only to have them die in their "forced landing." So sad. Another thing I like about the book is that there are pictures. Just when you think this story can't possibly be true, Zuckoff has the pictures to prove it! Also, I agree with Elliot in that I find it interesting how they explained the whole culture of the natives. Learning about other cultures is always fun to me, so the Uwambo chapter was very fun to read. I tried out the language too...Nit ahkuni Niantic aka We are the people of the Niantic River. Aw yea.

Well got a little carried away on the blogging here! Guess I'm just excited I actually found out how to post haha. Well I'm going to go back to reading! Hopefully McCollom, Maggie, and Decker's first encounter with the natives isn't a bloody one :/

BTW Soph, Elliot, and Mike...Hal-loak-nak ...except probably not eat your feces.. :)

Finally figured out how to post! Ive been liking this book alot so far. I agree with mike on how its good that he builds each character so that you almost feel like you know them. I enjoy books about survival and all that quaker hill stuff and one that have historical facts in them...so this ones been good. I thought it was cool how the natives were described and found it amazing that there could have still been natives that were almost untouched by the outside world. I wonder if theyll be nice or not...

This book is great. I think it has a compelling story and historical context. The most attractive part about the book is the validity of the story, and the personal appeal of each character. Zuckoff builds each character's personality so thoroughly that the reader can emotionally attach to the character, which only adds to the essence of the historical and true story behind it. What do you guys like the most?

#1

Yay to Filipinos! Mabaho Kili kili mo. All I know.
I am very excited to read this book. How bout you guys? Are you all liking it?