Book Description
Since the 1950s, eminent field biologist George Schaller has roamed through many lands observing wild animals and conducting landmark long-term studies that have deepened our understanding of these creatures. He has reported and reflected on his work in classic books such as The Year of the Gorilla, The Last Panda, and National Book Award winner The Serengeti Lion, but much of his best writing has been ephemeral, published in magazines only to drop out of sight. This collection features nineteen short pieces, here brought together in book form for the first time, offering a unique overview of his remarkable career.
Chapters describe stalking tigers in India and jaguars in Brazil's Pantanal swamps, studying mountain gorillas in Rwanda and predator- prey relations in the Serengeti, tracking new species on the wild border of Vietnam and Laos, searching for snow leopards in the Hindu Kush, and Schaller's groundbreaking work with giant pandas in Sichuan. Later accounts broaden the focus from individual creatures to whole ecosystems. "The careless rapture of my early studies has been replaced more and more by efforts to protect animals and their habitats," he writes.
New to this book are Schaller's introductions for each chapter, which add and update information, and an overall introduction that looks back on his career. His own photographs appear throughout: of animals and their behavior, of fieldwork, of the author and his family "on location" in temporary homes from a hut in the African highlands to a tent in the snowy mountains of China.
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Birds, Beasts, and Relatives
Gerald Durrell
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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My Family and Other Animals
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A Zoo in My Luggage
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Menagerie Manor
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Marrying Off Mother: And Other Stories
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The Whispering Land
ASIN: 0142004405
Release Date: 2004-06-29 |
Book Description
Part coming-of-age autobiography and part nature guide, Gerald Durrell's dazzling sequel to My Family and Other Animals is based on his boyhood on Corfu, from 1933 to 1939. Originally published in 1969 but long out of print, Birds, Beasts, and Relatives is filled with charming observations, amusing anecdotes, boyhood memories, and childlike wonder.
Book Description
"Reads like a crime novel . . . each chapter ends on a cliff-hanging note."—Seattle Times
When residents of Boulder, Colorado, suddenly began to see mountain lions in their backyards, it became clear that the cats had returned after decades of bounty hunting had driven them far from human settlement. In a riveting environmental tale that has received huge national attention, journalist David Baron traces the history of the mountain lion and chronicles one town's tragic effort to coexist with its new neighbors. As thought-provoking as it is harrowing, The Beast in the Garden is a tale of nature corrupted, the clash between civilization and wildness, and the artificiality of the modern American landscape. It is, ultimately, a book about the future of our nation, where suburban sprawl and wildlife-protection laws are pushing people and wild animals into uncomfortable, sometimes deadly proximity.
Customer Reviews:
Beast in the Garden Review.......2007-09-19
Extremely well written. I've recommended this book to all my friends and family.. not only is it intriguing and interesting, but its also incredibly informative. It opens your eyes to issues that you probably have not ever thought of. I'd give this book 10 stars if I could.
Beast in the Garden.......2007-06-27
I read this book because a friend at work had it.
I bought two copies from Amazon after reading it: one for me, and one for a friend researching/photographing mountain lions in South Dakota. I've already loaned out my copy to another friend who lives in Colorado and Nebraska and he said he remembers when the Idaho Springs incident happened.
This book is well written and does read like a detective story - but the reality is chilling. I couldn't stop reading it. I can't wait to read it again.
Thanks to Mr. Baron for such excellent work.
Tim Reigert
I loved this book........2007-03-08
"Beast in the Garden" was an extremely interesting book. It was full of facts and entertaining, although although a bit disturbing, at the same time. I live in an area where there are bears in many back yards and this book really takes a very informed look into the suburban/wildlife dynamic. I would definitely recommend it. My daughter is reading it now.
The Beast is Brilliant.......2007-01-09
This is a simply brilliant exposition of the Boulder that I grew up in. Baron examines the situation well and pays attention to the wildlife issues that were relevant at the time and are still relevant now. A few historical problems do come up, but they are merely anecdotal and hardly detract from the story.
Two things really make this a great book:
-if you're from Boulder or the Front Range, you'll be saying "Oh, I've been there" or "Hey, I know that guy" throughout the whole book.
-this book is action-packed. If they could make a movie out of it, they should.
Most of all, Baron pays attention to the characters and really goes in depth with who they are. I'm mostly interested in wildlife, however I found his portrayal of the people the most exciting.
A Cautionary Tale for Garden Dwellers.......2006-11-03
A fitness freak teenager, Scott Lancaster, skips his lunch period to run - his track a mountain trail just upslope from his Idaho Springs, Colorado, high school. The track lies within a few hundred yards of I-70, not far from Colorado's gambling towns, Central City and Black Hawk, about 40 miles west of Denver. Not unusual behavior for a youngster who often cut classes to go running.
But Scott Lancaster did not come back to school or to home. Two days later, a search team including many of Scott's fellow students, about ready to give up looking, found his brutally assaulted body in heavy underbrush, just off his trail.
A Beast in the Garden killed Scott.
The book tells the tale in a readable way. How the Garden came to be. How the wilderness areas at the edge of human development along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains were set aside as nature preserves in which the Beasts could live undisturbed. How the Beasts' natural predators were driven off. How the Beasts adapted to co-existence with the humans at the edges of the Garden. How the Beasts were seen moving further and further into developed areas like Boulder and Idaho Springs. How the Beasts showed their killer instinct with dogs and cats and sheep and other smaller animals. How the Beasts changed their ways, hunting in broad daylight, killing animals people said it feared. How the Beasts repeatedly attacked humans, even though it was said they would not. How a Beast treed Lynda Walters. How Andy Peterson saved himself by gouging out another Beast's eye. How a Beast killed Scott.
The Beasts in the Garden were mountain lions.
The book is the story of a killing and the hunt for the killer. It is also a story of a young naturalist, Michael Sanders, then of the Boulder County Parks and Open Space District, helping humans learn to live with the raccoons and other small invaders from the Garden. Mountain lion sightings piqued Sanders' fascination for big animals. Sanders and others began to build a systematic knowledge base of verified mountain lion sightings. They showed how the population of mountain lions appeared to be growing. How the sightings were of behaviors that proved more and more dangerous to domestic animals, even to humans. How Sanders warned that mountain lions posed significant danger - and was often ignored.
Finally, the book is a study in eco-sociology. Of the forces that created and still maintain the Garden as a preserve for wilderness creatures. Of the conflicting values of those living on the edge of the Garden, those who would remove mountain lions from the Garden, those whose saw humans as the intruders onto the mountain lions' natural home. It is a story that pits neighbor against neighbor. More instructively, it pits Sanders and his friends against the State and Federal park and wilderness managers. It pits emerging reality against common wisdom.
David Baron is a reporter on science and the environment for National Public Radio who first became interested in the behavior of mountain lions in developed areas while doing a 1996 story on a hiker who was killed by a mountain lion near Auburn, CA. His interest took him to the Garden that is the wilderness near Boulder and to Scott Lancaster's and Michael Sanders' stories. Beast in the Garden is a very good read, a well-written mystery that would be thoroughly satisfying were it not for the macabre reality.
The reality is not unique to Colorado's Front Range. My local newspaper has reported many sightings in the town north of my community, sightings and attacks on sheep, goats, and other small animals. A cashier at the local supermarket lost her dog to a mountain lion that is a frequent visitor in the community 15 miles south of mine. A nearby vineyard owner reports a female that has given birth to twin kits annually for several years. The regional paper has reported mountain lion sightings in urban areas, one just a few blocks from the county's community college. On a recent ten-day swing through the Pacific Northwest, there were reports of mountain lion sightings in developed areas in the Tacoma News Tribune, the Vancouver Sun, the Lewiston, Idaho, Tribune, and the Portland Oregonian.
So reality reminds us that my community, a former sheep ranch of about 3000 acres that has been developed with 2300 properties and more than 1500 acres of common land - forests and meadows - is a Garden, too. We, too, are seeing mountain lions. Not just in the forests, but in our meadows, close to the trails along the ocean bluff. Deer kills are reported routinely. We, too, have lost some of the sheep we keep to reduce fire risk, and there are musings about pets that have gone missing. No attacks on humans - yet.
The lessons in Beast in the Garden do not stop at the Front Range; they are applicable in my community - and maybe yours.
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Beasts of the Modern Imagination: Darwin, Nietzsche, Kafka, Ernst and Lawrence
Margot Norris
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0801832527 |
Book Description
This vivid and provocative book provides an unparelleled overview of the Goddess as she was defined by the ancient societies whose people worshiped her. The author spent more than four decades studying Goddess images--statues, religious artifacts, and art--from Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of the world. With more than 400 magnificent illustrations and photographs (many in color) of historic and prehistoric objects, this book provides a diverse display of stunning images that focus on the Goddess in relation to her sacred animals.
Customer Reviews:
Great picture collection.......2004-10-17
I bought this book in support of research into the Potnia Theron (Lady of the Beasts) tradition in ancient iconography. This tradition is very important to me personally. A Goddess associated with lions, owls, etc. is central to my spiritual practice.
Lady of the Beasts does contain a delightful collection of animal-related iconography from a wide range of cultures. It was worth the price to me just for this.
That is a good thing, too, because the text is so full of howling errors that I have to assess it to be perfectly useless as any kind of guide to the tradition.
Androgynous figures, or figures of completely indeterminate sex, become Goddesses by default. Just a few examples: A seated figure on a stone from Sweden, shown holding snakes, which reminds me strongly of the Cernunnos (horned God) figure from the Gundestroup cauldron, becomes a Goddess "in birth position." (pp. 175 - 177) True, the figure's legs are spread, but it is seated, not squatting, which -- women, please correct me if I am wrong -- looks like an absolutely hideous and impossible position for birthing. The body is androgynous, but the shape of the head suggests a beard. The lighting on the picture precludes any firm conclusion on the question of beard vs. pointed chin. Another figure, clearly a woman seated on the back of a sow, is in a similar position, but holding one leg up. Johnston cites this as a fertility fetish and suggests the female figure here is also in a birthing position; this one looks much more likely to be that. Interestingly, these images are not linked with the later Sheela-na-gig images from Ireland and elsewhere. Perhaps that is understandable, since the Sheela-na-gig is nowhere linked with animals. At any rate, I can come up with several alternative spiritual interpretations of these figures without much effort at all, which is consistent with the nature of myth and of mythic art.
A figure from a Fremont Indian rock painting (p. 33), with a roughly rectangular body and long ears or horns, becomes a creatrix on no evidence whatever. It could just as well be Coyote, who in some of the stories from the region created the world as one of his jokes (and considering some of the more ribald Coyote stories, his maleness is not in any doubt). Since there are no living Fremont Indians from whom to collect oral tradition, we just don't know.
On p. 19, conveniently unnamed archaeologists from "the Soviet Union" (which no longer existed by the time the book was published) are cited in support of the Universal Paleo-Neo-lithic Mother Goddess myth.
Contrary to Johnston's assertion, Tammuz (Dumuzi) was not originally Ishtar (Inanna)'s son (p. 179). I am particularly displeased when people pervert the grand old stories of the Ancient Near East in support of a vision of all Pagan religions being exemplars of a particular monomyth. They were not, and their very chaotic diversity is part of their power. Much information is potentially lost when authors put their One True Interpretation first and the facts last.
This sort of excess does not serve feminism, Neopaganism, or Goddess spirituality well. It is exactly why those movements, with their infinitely valuable message for humanity, are so easily dismissed by their academic and political critics (who, of course, are the same people in some cases).
It would be so much better to present a balanced view, in which the ancient relations between Gods and Goddesses are preserved in all their messy glory, than to destroy the legacy of ancient Paganism by dismissing and trivializing the male half of it, even in just retaliation for how the female half was treated. Perhaps this is a necessary part of a dialectical process, and the balance I seek is being developed as the wild swings of the pendulum are damped by the critical process. A man can dream.
Women who run with the wolves, the lions, the bears..........2003-02-16
This book is gorgeous enough to be a coffee-table ornament, and substantial enough that it'll spend more time in your hands than on the coffee table.
Many of the goddesses worshipped in ancient times were envisioned in the form of animals, or depicted with animals, such as the snake, cow, bird, or sow. Buffie Johnson writes lucidly about these goddesses and supplements her work with TONS of pictures. She touches on many different cultures, from the Mediterranean to Scotland and South America. If you're interested in goddess spirituality, you will definitely want this book.
A side note: I really wish I'd had this on hand when I read _The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory_ a few weeks ago. In that book Cynthia Eller tries to disprove matriarchies, and among other things, questions the theory that there was goddess worship in Crete. She says that the two "Snake Goddess" statues don't necessarily prove anything. No, not by themselves. But from Johnson's book, I learned that there were similar but less elaborate statues on altars in people's houses...that a beautifully painted sarcophagus bore a mural of a host of priestesses performing a bull-sacrifice as a lone male flutist trilled in the background...that there were far more images of female power in the "seal stones" than I had seen before. Or that the smaller of the Snake Goddesses wears a rose crown, the sign of Ariadne, though I don't know if they're connected. I still don't know whether there was a matriarchy there, or whether it would have been a good or bad thing if there had been one. But Johnson has convinced me that there were goddesses worshipped there.
This book does occasionally go a little bit overboard, seeing goddess symbolism where there may be no symbolism at all. But in general, it is a beautiful and useful resource that will delight anyone interested in the ancient Ladies.
beautiful work.......2001-03-06
this book tells about Goddesses and their sacred animals. i don't know what i expected, but still, it is a good book. the chapters tells about different animals; birds, cats, cows, bugs and so on. also, there are many pictures and drawings. only minus comes from the texts...they would be little bit longer.
A must have for referance........1998-11-07
This book was written very well. It covered many of the Goddesses from all around the world and told their stories. The photos were very helpful in showing the old Goddesses when reading their stores. This is one book that is a must for those studying the old religions.
Book Description
Since the dinosaurs died out over 65 million years ago our planet has been dominated by mammals. A succession of bizarre evolutionary specimens have come and gone -- from walking whales to sabre-toothed cats -- yet many of these magnificent creatures have never been visualized before. Now, for the first time, spectacular and unfamiliar animals are recreated and set in the context of their world. Walking with Prehistoric Beasts reveals the extraordinary ancestors of modern mammals and the arrival of man, bringing to life the roots of our heritage. Following on from the hugely-acclaimed Walking with Dinosuars, Walking with Prehistoric Beasts recreates the creatures and landscapes of post-dinosaur Earth; transporting us to the icy plains of the mammoth, dark forests stalked by giant carnivorous birds, and deserts dominated by 16 ton Indricotheres. From the tiny fruit-eating primate Apidium, to the powerful chalicotheres, whose curved claws forced them to walk on their knuckles, the lives of these little known creatures are vividly brought to life. Meet the bizarre hose-nosed Macrauchenia, and the Deodicurus, a giant armadillo with a spiked club for a tail; run with cat-sized horses and rhino-sized carnivorous pigs, hunt with the skull-crushing Andrewsarchus, and walk with the very first humans. Illustrated boxes describe the latest scientific evidence that led to the reconsturctions of these creatures, while character boxes provide information on behavior and habitats. The text is illustrated throughout with ground-breaking computer graphic images to offer a unique record of lost worlds never seen before and reveal many of the most spectacular periods in Earth's history. Also available, accompanying the Walking with Prehistoric Beasts TV series, are books for children, home videos, a DVD, and a CD of the soundtrack from the series.
Customer Reviews:
Move over, dinosaurs and prehistoric reptiles! .......2005-09-02
This is the best book on prehistoric animals I've ever spent money on! Even better than walking with dinosaurs! The photos are nearly real, if not completely, the information is wonderful for everyone age 11 and up, and every piece of the book is perfect for all who like cool animals, prehistoric or modern day! My favorite was the chapter with the Smilodons(they are my favorite prehistoric animal of all time, of course!)It was cool, and so were all the other huge chapters! Oh, and the mammoths rocked, as well, I might add. I will tell you this, too-this book is educational and fun. You should give it to any nature lover! It is absolutely superb. I recommend it to anyone with the slightest interest in nature and/or history!
this book is sure to please.......2005-08-26
even though i know its impossible, i still dream of going to times way back, like time periods when this book takes place. this book takes you a step closer. with the realistic computer graphics and the very descriptive language and informative facts, it is hard to look out the window and not see giant mammals roaming around, or not hear the distant growls of fighting animals, or not see the world as a lush tropical rain forest (as it was in the mid Eocene)or a sunny grassy grassland (late eocene). if time travel ever does become a reality, this will be one of the first places i visit
The Beasts have returned.......2005-01-29
The book is about dinosaurs that live in the prehistoric times.
This book has lots of action in it and it has lots of facts to fill your brain.
This book is good because it teaches people about the prehistoric life.
Also it is good because it great illustration and action.
I would recommend this book to people that like to learn about the wold and how it was like back then.
It is also good because it tells you the size of the prehistoric animals and weight of them.
Just as Good as the First One!.......2004-10-17
I find those odd "beasts" from the Cenozoic era amazing. And Walking with Beast: A Prehistoric Safari is an amazing book about them. Written by the series producer of the wonderfull Walking with Dinosaurs series, Tim Haines, the 260-page book is full of "photos" of the different beasts. Like it's predesessor, Walking with Beasts has six chapters - New Dawn, Whale Killer, Land of the Giants, The Prey's Revenge, Sabre-tooth World and A Mammoth's Journey. Full of nice fact files and side-boxes (what I call), this book is certainly worth getting. If you like Walking with Dinosaurs or the beasts themselves, this book is for you. And even if you are interested in hominids (those odd human-like apes), you'll find something. Get it now along with the film and the other books Sea Monsters, Land of Lost Monsters and Walking with Dinosaurs.
Best book on beasts???.......2004-10-14
I really like these "Walking with..." books and I think THIS is my favorite of them all. With full "photosgraphs" of the beasts, a well-written, easy-to-follow storyline and millions of facts, Walking with Beasts: A Prehistoric Safari by Tim Haines is a very great book indeed. I especially like the side-boxes packed with infomation, and the fact files were good, too. Get this and the video now!!
Book Description
From Mickey Mouse to the teddy bear, from the Republican elephant to the use of "jackass" as an all-purpose insult, images of animals play a central role in politics, entertainment, and social interactions. In this penetrating look at how Western culture pictures the beast, Steve Baker examines how such images--sometimes affectionate, sometimes derogatory, always distorting--affect how real animals are perceived and treated.
Baker provides an animated discussion of how animals enter into the iconography of power through wartime depictions of the enemy, political cartoons, and sports symbolism. He examines a phenomenon he calls the "disnification" of animals, meaning a reduction of the animal to the trivial and stupid, and shows how books featuring talking animals underscore human superiority. He also discusses how his findings might inform the strategies of animal rights advocates seeking to call public attention to animal suffering and abuse. Until animals are extricated from the baggage of imposed images, Baker maintains, neither they nor their predicaments can be clearly seen.
For this edition, Baker provides a new introduction, specifically addressing an American audience, that touches on such topics as the Cow Parade, animal imagery in the presidential race, and animatronic animals in recent films.
Customer Reviews:
a nice & original study of animal imagery.......1997-02-24
Picturing the beast is about the way animals are depicted in the media (cartoons, photography etc.) The thesis of the book is that such depictions partly determine the way we think about and treat animals. Picturing the beast is a highly original study and is recommended for anyone interested in media & communication, or the animal rights debate
Average customer rating:
- Fun and informative
- Very educational and entertaining book
- The Heart of the Beast -- Loved It!!
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The Heart of the Beast: Eight Great Gorilla Stories
Nancy Roe-Pimm
Manufacturer: Darby Creek Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1581960549 |
Customer Reviews:
Fun and informative .......2007-06-11
"The Heart Of The Beast: Eight Great Gorilla Stories" by animal enthusiast Nancy Roe Pimm (who once worked as a docent at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Columbus, Ohio, giving tours of the zoo and eventually serving as an animal handler at local school assemblies) has compiled eight true stories featuring well-known gorillas that reveal the ability of these powerful animals to be caring, communicating, protecting, and grieving. Mostly docile animals that like to spend their days caring for and playing with their young, foraging for plants, and even 'singing', children will learn about the history, behaviors and nature of these largest members of the ape family. Replete with facts and anecdotes, expertly illustrated with color photography, "The Heart Of The Beast" is a fun and informative addition recommended for inclusion into family, elementary school, and community library Pets & Wildlife collections.
Very educational and entertaining book.......2007-05-30
My family thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was informative yet written in terms we could understand. My youngest son read it twice.
The Heart of the Beast -- Loved It!!.......2007-03-22
This is a great book for readers of any age. Even if you don't think you have a particular interest in gorillas, you cannot help but become more interested as you read these stories. They are informative,surprising, and even touching. I found myself teary-eyed after reading some of these gorillas' stories. This is not a book for children only -- adults will enjoy it just as much. The stories and facts are broken into short sections, so it's very easy to pick up and put down if you don't have a lot of time to read all at once. You will probably find yourself wanting to go to your local zoo to observe the gorillas after learning more about them in this book.
Book Description
The forces of annihilation
Throughout the galaxy, the near-invincible armies of the alien Remor have set their sights on one goal: the complete extermination of the human race. Outnumbered and outgunned, The Interstellar Defense League cannot afford to discard any asset -- so a disgraced Sector Commander is being given a chance to redeem himself ... by sacrificing his life.
The fate of Christoph Stone -- and, perhaps, the destiny of all humankind -- is to be decided on a distant frontier planet nestled deep in enemy-controlled space. Saddled with shockingly green troops, a captain with a checkered past, and a trouble-making civilian expeditionary force, Stone's mission is clear and clearly suicidal. Because even his superiors are unaware of the weapon the Remor have waiting for the human invaders as they attempt to retake a captive world: an instrument of destruction that is demonic, unstoppable ... and obscenely human.
Customer Reviews:
cool genre fiction.......2007-05-22
Day after tomorrow stuff - lots of suspense without alot of gore. Good for adults and young adults. Good price.
This is not a horror story.......2007-03-11
This is not a horror story but the villains are as horrible set of monsters as you can find or imagine.
The hero's sort of are a militant alliance of many human star systems are are just as onery and hard to get along with as any other competeing sets of Politicians. The story is about a group of professional soldiers fighting with inadequate everything and how they win against the odds by thinking, planning, training and then standing fast against serious danger.
a great read spent all night.
I have read 2 books in this series and I recommend both.
I am waiting for a third.
I am waiting for anything by this author
Action filled by author Clayton L. McNally To The Stars, Galactic Star Force series .......2007-02-19
The remor are mankinds worst fears realized. Humanity must rely on an officer thought inferior in abilities or honor, but he delivers results. Moved to the far fringes of humanity, he faces a struggle that his mixed fleet of almost advesarial h=umans, results happen and humanity may not perish. The book keeps you on the edge and the ending is not what I expected, but it was well done.
Much Improved on the First in the Series.......2005-03-22
I enjoyed The Face of the Enemy enough to buy this sequel and I am glad that I did. From a literary perspective, it is an improvement on almost every level. The character development is more rich, the plot tighter, and the battle scenes more compelling.
Picking up shortly after the first book, the focus of The Nature of the Beast is direct military confrontation with the Remor. Humanity is launching its first real counteroffensive, but its commander and his troops are not exactly the cream of the crop of the Interstallar Defense League. At least on the surface. To make matters worse, the IDL force has to deal with a large contingent of civilian volunteers from a a star nation whose human government has refused to sign up with the IDL. They are eager, but naive, underequipped, and undertrained.
In addition to following the IDL's preparations, you learn about life on a Remor occupied planet. Which is kind of surprising because you got the impression from the first book that there would be no humans left after the Remor got done with them. But it seems that the Remor have their uses for humans which makes the Remor far more heinous than had they simply just exterminated them all.
Fawkes follows both narrative threads in a balanced manner, giving each sufficient attention so that when the narratives converge, the story moves along smoothly and naturally.
The battles in space and on the ground are more detailed and developed than in his first installment, though not as global as you will find in other science fiction. Though in the first book, the IDL characters sometimes seemed a little one dimensional, here they have more depth. More honor. And certainly more justification.
In the first book you learned more about humanity and its varied governments, motivations, and space nations. This book tells us a lot more about the Remor and, perhaps, their motivations. In my opinion, Fawkes has done a good job of "setting the board" for future books about this universe.
Run-of-the-mill mil-sf.......2004-10-12
Not a bad series, and has a well-placed climax, but the world-building suffers from one particularly uberstalwart human culture and the need to balance humanity against a species that technologically should be kicking their behinds. The combat scenes were also not up to the standards of some of the more widely known works in the genre, lacking in detail and an overview of the tactics and strategy employed. Nonetheless, there was appealing characters and the plotting was well-handled enough to make finishing it no chore. Mildly recommended.
Book Description
Somewhere between myth and reality, the truth behind America's last wild predator.
Customer Reviews:
The whole controversy. .......2005-03-08
This is an excellent book that will entertain people from all walks of life. Butz does an excellent job of playing the role of "true reporter", and definitely doesn't play favorites in this book. He tells the saga of cougars in Michigan as he sees it. The truth can be painful, and Butz's pen dishes it out to all of the major players involved. The MWC, DNR, and CN all take their fair share of lashings. On the other side he gives them credit where credit is due.
Butz draws you in as only a real life detective can, and holds your full attention to the very end of the book. Those that are new to the controversy of mountain lions living in Michigan will have the entire saga laid out before them. Seasoned veterans who have been following the battle for years will learn many new facts about the evidence of growing puma populations that exist in Michigan and other places in the east.
Many readers, that are looking for "the answer", may come away from the book as frustrated as they were before they read it. This frustration seems to stem from the fact that the fuel feeding the controversy is pure political fodder, and has little to do with the simple question of whether or not pumas exist in Michigan and the rest of the eastern states. There are still many questions left unanswered, but the book clears up the major points. The reader is left to form their own opinion about the status of cougars in Michigan which is still definitely up in the air. If you are interested in cougars in the eastern USA this is an absolute must read!
From a 30-year Eastern Cougarmaniac.......2005-01-10
For more than one hundred years, ever since cougars were pronounced extinct in the eastern US, people have continued to report sightings. Since the 1970s, many have become intrigued with these reports and have attempted to document them with evidence such as tracks, photographs and more recently, with remote camera pictures, hair samples, and scats, which can be identified by DNA analysis. A few confirmations have been logged in the northeastern US and eastern Canada.
One state which seems to have more than its share of evidence is Michigan, although no dead bodies have showed up yet. Late in 2001, Dr. Patrick Rusz, biologist for the private Michigan Wildlife Conservancy (MWC), released a report summarizing this evidence and began to search for more. In November, he announced that he had discovered tracks, deer kills, and scats characteristic of cougars on the north shore of Lake Michigan. Later, he found more scats on Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
The announcements set off a whirlwind of controversy. Does Rusz have evidence or doesn't he? The author is an outdoor writer who lives on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. For three years he accompanied Rusz on field trips. Butz also considers the possibility of cougar survival elsewhere in the East. It does seem that there is valid evidence in Michigan, but Rusz and the MWC have made major mistakes that have undermined their credibility.
Butz concludes that amateurs searching for evidence will never be successful in persuading recalcitrant state wildlife agencies to protect cougars. Nor will a purely scientific approach. It's a political matter as much as anything else.
Meanwhile, there is undoubted proof that cougars are extending their range from the Rocky Mountains and Black Hills eastward. Recently two crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois. Their appearance has been greeted a mixture of delight and unwarranted fear.
Butz' book is a good read. I recommend it to anyone who is excited about the return of wildness to the eastern United States.
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