The Serpent and the Rainbow

A Harvard Scientist's Astonishing Journey into the Secret Societies of Haitian Voodoo, Zombis, and Magic

by Wade Davis

Paperback, 304 pages

English language

Published Oct. 28, 1985 by Simon & Schuster.

ISBN:: 978-0-684-83929-5

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(7 reviews)

The Serpent and the Rainbow: A Harvard Scientist's Astonishing Journey into the Secret Societies of Haitian Voodoo, Zombies, and Magic is a 1985 book by anthropologist and researcher Wade Davis. He investigated Haitian Vodou and the process of making zombies. He studied ethnobotanical poisons, discovering their use in a reported case of a contemporary zombie, Clairvius Narcisse.

6 editions

Anne Merrill reviewed The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis

Review of 'The Serpent and the Rainbow' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I loved this book back when I read it in the late 80's! I bought it at Atticus Books in Middletown, Connecticut. I think it was part of a display, but maybe I just found it on the shelf. My mom was getting her Master's in Archaeology and Art History, and of course I'd seen the Indiana Jones movies. so adventurous anthropological field work wasn't totally new to me. This story was so thrilling, though. I guess what I loved was that he continues to relentlessly pursue the truth, even when it is so unpopular. It's been thirty years, so I don't know how I would feel about it now.