Sweat of the Sun, Tears of the Moon: A Chronicle of an Incan Treasure

The lost treasure of Atahualpa, the Inca king murdered by Pizarro in 1534, continues to lure gold hunters to the distant, almost impassable mountains of Ecuador, where, legend says, it is hidden. Lourie, a graduate student in anthropology, succumbed to the legend and set off on an expedition to separate myth from fact. His journal captures the quixotic path he followed, often with laughable unreadiness and the self-delusion that propelled many fellow-travelers he encountered en route. In the end, ironically, Lourie concluded that he had no desire whatsoever to disturb the Incas' gold. His journal is a captivating, if meandering adventure. (Apr.)