Hi! You're looking at an excellent condition book which is OUT OF PRINT and an anthropological study of the Navigational skills of the Micronesian peoples of Puluwat Atoll written by THOMAS GLADWIN--the book is a FIRST EDITION and Fifth Printing and a softcover copy. This book is in excellent condition and has some notes in erasable pencil on the blank first page and in the margins of some of the book's pages, a very light crease on the left spine edge of the front cover, slight dustwear on the upper page edge and just slight shelfwear and very light evidence of gentle browsing but no other significant imperfections!  The book is titled East is a Big Bird: Navigation & Logic on Puluwat Atoll and it was written by THOMAS GLADWIN; it was published by Harvard University Press in 1970 and is an unstated 1st EDITION and 5th Printing with a publication line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5.

 Puluwat Atoll in Micronesia, with a population of only a few hundred proud seafaring people, can fulfill anyone's romantic daydream of the South Seas. Thomas Gladwin has written a beautiful and perceptive book which describes the complex navigational systems of the Puluwat natives, yet has done so principally to provide new insights into the effects of poverty in Western cultures.

The cognitive system which enables the Puluwatans to sail their canoes without instruments over trackless expanses of the Pacific Ocean is sophisticated and complex, yet the Puluwat native would score low on a standardized intelligence test. The author relates this discrepancy between performance and measured abilities to the educational problems of disadvantaged children. He presents his arguments simply and clearly, with sensitive and detailed descriptions and many excellent illustrations. His book will appeal to anthropologists, psychologists, and sailing enthusiasts alike.

A fantastic find, and a beautiful copy of this book!

Thanks for looking, and good luck if you're bidding! Also be sure to check out all of my other great books currently listed on ebay auctions--I can combine shipping for multiple purchases!