Playing with Water: Passion & Solitude on a Philippine Island

by James Hamilton-Paterson

Book Overview

A wonderful inner journey in the outer light and color of a remote coast, uncommonly well written.--Peter Matthiessen

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0941533107
• ISBN13: 9780941533102
• Release Date: September 1987
• Publisher: New Amsterdam Books
• Length: 282 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Shipped far below the delivery time estimate

This item was shipped well before the delivery date estimate, and was in practically new condition. Would recommend this seller.

Go read...it's good!

i read this book so many years ago, but i can still rememberhow good it is. this book is not only about the underwaterworld but also about the goings-on in a typical barrio inthe philippines. it has a socio-economic aspect to it that ifound quite realistic, having been born and raised in that verysame third world country. it amazed and pleased me that a foreigner like hamilton-paterson could, quite accurately, capturethe very essence of filipino rural society---like the old woman whohe suspects isnt so aloof and taciturn as she seemsand the children of the barrio who frolick in the water andin their humble amusements, oblivious of the shortcomings of athird world upbringing. the book is an unusual stew of underwateradventure and an unpatronizing account of a life among barrio folk.

Paterson shares his insights about diving for a living

Paterson is living on a small island in the Philippines and he is joining the natives in diving (i.e. fishing) for a living. We scuba-divers, as we only come for 1-2 week vacations, often are not experiencing the reality around our dive sites. Paterson's book was helping me understanding more of the countries I was visiting. Very instructive are his personal insights about ecology in a third world country and the connections to the economical and social structure. I found it very valuable that the insights do not follow the well known beaten paths about the third world but are rather well founded, personal observations. This makes this book a much more interesting read than any other book about the subject that I have ever read before.