"The Man-Eating Predator in the Jungles of History and the Mind" David Quammen book talk

I found this old book talk (from 2003) on youtube by the excellent natural history / popular science author David Quammen on his book "The Man-Eating Predator in the Jungles of History and the Mind".

I thought I would post it here as I know that many of you are interested in this subject and might find the talk interesting or like to check out the book.

This is a powerful book on the subject of apex predators and human wildlife conflict around the world and specifically features the Asiatic lion, saltwater crocodile, Eurasian brown bear and Siberian tiger.

Enjoy

 

It's an excellent book which I re-read a couple of times. I would recommend it to everyone.

 

Great to hear you've read it and not just once but a few times !

What did you like about it ?

Personally I thought it was a great examination of human-wildlife conflict and I liked the four case studies but thought the chapter on the Siberian tiger was the weakest of these.

I wouldn't say it was my favourite of Quammen's books as I much preferred "spillover" and "song of the dodo" but it was still an excellent read.

 

I did like that chapter the most Probably because the first time I read it, I just saw the NGC documentary of some Russian National Park guys who protect the Siberian tiger in the far east.

But all chapters are good. I particularly liked the mix of cultural fixation on large predators and their struggle for survival. The book has a sence of nostalgia.

"monster of god" is excellent, but "the song of the dodo" is a true masterpiece.

 

Totally agree with you on that, I particularly liked the chapter on the brown bears in Romania and the Asiatic lion in India, however, like you I would say that "song of the dodo" is his magnum opus.

On the subject of Siberian tigers if you are interested in a great non-fiction book about these big cats and human-wildlife conflict in the Russian far East I really recommend John Valliant's "The tiger".

One of the best books about human-wildlife conflict and tiger conservation that I've ever read.

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant