Lost in Jungle by Yossi Ghinsberg

'Fear will show you the way, walk steadily towards it, for otherwise you will always be running. Have trust and faith to guide you like a torch piercing darkness. Do not believe and do not deny. but find out yourself — for there is not truth but the one you have earned in your own experience'

Lost in the Jungle is an adventure survival story about how a group of friends or acquaintances decided to spend some time in the Amazon Rainforest but unfortunately they gets lost in the jungle and experiences some harrowing and near death events. This story is narrated by one of the friends, Yossi, who spends about eighteen days alone in the jungle.

The writing was very basic and sometimes I wished the writing was more detailed. This could may be due to the fact that the original was written in Hebrew and later translated. May be a lot of detailing might have been lost in the translation. Anyway, despite the lack of richness from a literary point of view, still the book was a real page turner.

I love survival adventure books or stories, mainly because of the edge of the seat thrilling moments that it evokes in me. The survival instincts of human beings always enthralled me. Although thinking about such situations is very scary, I always wished I could also experience the things like in the books. Experience of reading such book will be always remembered as a vivid, thrilling part of our life.

I would confidently put this book in that category because some of the experiences that the author faces is fascinating as well as downright scary. Some of the decisions that they make is very puzzling and seems idiotic but still the courage they showed and the will power to not give up hope is encouraging and touching.

The character changes that the author undergoes, from a brazen arrogant youth who lacks any kind of awareness regarding the jungle and very insensitive to its living beings to a person who is trying to find redemption for his actions by fighting for the rights and existence of the same jungle and its tribes and their upliftment is commendable.

All in all, the book was thoroughly enjoyable.