I just finished reading The Serpent and the Rainbow (which is by far my favorite read of 2010). It's the true story of the anthropologist, ethnobotanist, and Harvard graduate Wade Davis and his journey through the bowels of Haiti on the quest to find the truth behind the zombi poison myth. Seeking this brought him deeper into a foreign culture, which he would struggle to decode through science. As Wade delved deeper into the aspects leading to the creation of the mythology, he uncovered the truth about voodoun secret societies and their reach into the socio-political life of all Haitian citizenry.
There are some critics who contest how much of his findings are legitimate. Wade actually does go into specifics when discussing the properties of what he believes to be the make up of the fabled "zombi poison". Which we find is quite real when he meets Clairvius Narcisse, the most documented case of a real life Zombi. And that is only the beginning of his harrowing tale.
Wade's book, which reads like an eloquent travel log with footnotes, is like the adventures of an Indiana Jones archetype but instead of rivals, tombs and buried treasure he is dealing with Houngan's, plant and animal toxins. I highly recommend The Serpent and the Rainbow, but please beware that the book is NOTHING like the film of the same name.
check it out : http://www.amazon.com/Serpent-Rainbow-Scientists-Astonishing-Societies/dp/0684839296
