r You can actually meet and talk to author Wayne Hamby, who wrote the newly released book “Jaguars and Cannibals.” He is wonderful to visit with and will happily autograph your book, which is available at the Central Utah Veterans Home in Payson where he lives. This guy has led a remarkable life.rI asked him why he wrote the story of his adventures, and he responded, “I hope to be able to teach my sons and help other people to know the most important thing in life is to know who you are.”rHamby describes his life as a guy who was buying and selling gemstones, mostly out of Brazil. Of course, his story is much more than the tale of a salesman. As he looks back on his adventures, he philosophizes and shares the lessons he has learned and his beliefs.rThe book is filled with “close calls, tales of tender mercies, and the miracles that saved his life.” It reads like a conversation with Hamby with phrases like, “Let me tell you the story …” and, “The phrase ‘We’d like to have you for dinner,’ took on a whole new meaning.”rThe first story begins in about 1984 in the Amazon basin of Brazil. Hamby bought diamonds directly from the miners who lived in a remote village in the jungle and soon began mining his own land nearby. One night, outside his tent, he heard a low growl that woke him. As a big cat prowled around his campsite, the growling increased. Fortunately, for whatever reason, the cat moved on and Hamby survived another close call.rAs the author shares the adventure stories of his life, we understand why he can say, “For me, this was a true labor of love. There are times when people offer their condolences for my being tucked off in my room at the veteran’s room where I live, but they don’t understand I’m having the time of my life. Understanding where I’ve been is absolutely necessary to understand where I’m going.”r”Jaguars and Cannibals” is available at the Central Utah Veterans Home, Cedar Fort Publishing, amazon.com and many local bookstores. Learn more at www.waynehamby.com.
