by Wade Davis...fantastic book about the incredible cultural/technological achievements of so-called "traditional" cultures (Polynesia being just one that's discussed). Mau Piailug, who is talked about in the chapter on Polynesian navigation, was incredible...descriptions of making landfall after weeks and weeks of navigating without instruments...well...amazing. Fortunately, as you may know, there's been a revival of interest in the ancient skill of non-instrument navigation, and as the article mentions, Mau mentored Nainoa Thompson in the arts of traditional navigation (who in turn mentored a Hawaiian by the name of Ka'iulani Murphy...the flame continues to burn.)

Maybe, just maybe, those "old fashioned and backwards" people really did know something that we "advanced and all-knowing" moderns don't...

"The Wayfinders" is a good introduction to Mau...David Lewis' book "We, The Navigators" goes into considerable depth on him, by the way.