On the water it is critical to know 3 things; where you are, where you are going and how to get there. Navigation instruments ranging from compass to GPS chartplotters are considered standard equipment on many vessels today. Fisherman in kayaks who don't paddle more than a few miles from their launch site carry GPS devices to find the exact spots they are looking for. How, then, did ancient Polynesians cross thousands of miles of open ocean and mae landfall on tiny islands without the aid of instruments or even charts as we know them?

In his book "We the Navigators" David Lewis provides an academic, yet very readable, account of his voyages with some of the few remaining navigators. He discusses the traditions and methods of the various island groups and gives accounts of his actual voyages with these men using their techniques.

This book is for anyone who stands in awe of past mariners wondering how they accomplished such amazing feats of navigation and exploration with tools that seem completely inadequate at first glance. It was a very enjoyable read.