THE UNEXPLORED WORLD

by ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 1976

Although Smith dangles before us such potential finds as frozen Inca mummies, new species of fauna, and ""secret ashrams,"" the total effect of his catalog of unclimbed mountains, untrod deserts, and unpenetrated ocean depths is to remind us that nowadays exploring is a specialized and expensive business. Of course there are still exceptional amateurs--Geoffry Moorhouse tried crossing the Sahara from east to west in 1972, Gene Savoy discovered Inca ruins the professionals didn't believe existed--and we can well imagine an audience that will finds names like Bouvet Island and the Takla Makan Desert the stuff to daydream on. But be warned that this amounts to little more than a checklist of places you might want to investigate, on foot or in print, and Smith's emphasis on the thrill of being the first (or at least the first Westerner) to walk any given piece of ground, ultimately does nothing to expand our concept of what adventure is.

Pub Date: June 1, 1976

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1976

Categories: NONFICTION