- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Greystone Books; 1 edition (Oct 10 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1553652363
- ISBN-13: 978-1553652366
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14.7 x 2.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 476 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#284,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #19 in Books > Science > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Reptiles
- #52 in Books > Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Reptiles & Amphibians
- #52 in Books > Outdoors & Nature > Ecology > Animals > Reptiles & Amphibians
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"Anthony's writing style is engaging and his insights into the herpetological community and biology of amphibians and reptiles are genuine and accurate...If you have any inclination towards biographies or true life adventures, you will probably enjoy this book." (Herplit 20080905)
"Leslie Anthony leads the reader through desert and jungle to reveal the strange world of snakes and the often stranger fraternity that pursues them." (Vancouver Sun 20081205)
"Snakebit is a romp through the world of snakes and those that study them. Witty, serious and a reminder of the wonder of nature and those that study it, it's a must for the naturalist in all of us." (Owen Sound Times 20081211)
"Anthony blends science writing with travelogue and history in this learned but lighthearted memoir of an adventurer obsessed with snakes, salamanders, frogs, and turtles...He also creates amusing portraits of the eccentric, often hard-drinking fellow 'herpers' he meets along the way. For high-stakes fun, it beats bird watching." (Georgia Straight 20081212)
"[Leslie Anthony's] takes scientists out of the world of labcoats and pocket protectors as he details fieldwork that would fit right into an Indiana Jones adventure film, but he never lets us forget that these are highly trained people doing important work." (Vancouver Sun 20081218)
"A trove of smart, stylish writing about linguistics, biology, geography and mythology -- as well as snake lovers with missing digits, hysterical gardeners and church ladies." (The Tyee 20081220)
"A haphazard tour through the natural history of snakes and amphibians enlivened with vivid anecdotes that will make everyone who has ever dreamed of an Indiana Jones-style career glad they chose a desk job over the jungle." (Globe & Mail 20080103)
"A fascinating and often thrilling peek into the world of herpetology." (Edmonton Journal 20090304)
"Part memoir, part sociological investigation of herpetologist culture, Anthony explores what it means to be 'snakebit' from a young age." (Publishers Weekly )
"Leslie Anthony leads the reader through desert and jungle to reveal the strange world of snakes and the often stranger fraternity that pursues them." (Vancouver Sun 20081205)
"Snakebit is a romp through the world of snakes and those that study them. Witty, serious and a reminder of the wonder of nature and those that study it, it's a must for the naturalist in all of us." (Owen Sound Times 20081211)
"Anthony blends science writing with travelogue and history in this learned but lighthearted memoir of an adventurer obsessed with snakes, salamanders, frogs, and turtles...He also creates amusing portraits of the eccentric, often hard-drinking fellow 'herpers' he meets along the way. For high-stakes fun, it beats bird watching." (Georgia Straight 20081212)
"[Leslie Anthony's] takes scientists out of the world of labcoats and pocket protectors as he details fieldwork that would fit right into an Indiana Jones adventure film, but he never lets us forget that these are highly trained people doing important work." (Vancouver Sun 20081218)
"A trove of smart, stylish writing about linguistics, biology, geography and mythology -- as well as snake lovers with missing digits, hysterical gardeners and church ladies." (The Tyee 20081220)
"A haphazard tour through the natural history of snakes and amphibians enlivened with vivid anecdotes that will make everyone who has ever dreamed of an Indiana Jones-style career glad they chose a desk job over the jungle." (Globe & Mail 20080103)
"A fascinating and often thrilling peek into the world of herpetology." (Edmonton Journal 20090304)
"Part memoir, part sociological investigation of herpetologist culture, Anthony explores what it means to be 'snakebit' from a young age." (Publishers Weekly )
Product Description
A rollicking ride full of passion, adventure, and biology into the wild world of snakes and amphibians and the scientists who study them.
Snakebit traces the author's journey from a childhood fascination with snakes, through academic flirtation, to professional association with some of the world's greatest herpetologists. It leads the reader through desert, swamp, jungle, and lab to reveal the strange world of these cryptic creatures and the often stranger fraternity that pursues them.
Both celebrating and sending up the science and philosophy surrounding what surely seems insane to some, Snakebit offers a headlong, fun-for-all read packed with personalities, history, geography, culture, and an eclectic mix of locales. Along the way, the reader is served a generous helping of saccharine-free science, from modern evolutionary theory to unisexuality and biodiversity, seasoned with more than a dash of humor.
(20090615)
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A very enjoyable and hilarious read,
By
This review is from: Snakebit: Confessions Of A Herpetologist (Hardcover)
Who knows what geekiness lurks in the heart of men? As one of the few legendary ski journalists of the past 20 years, author Leslie Anthony is better known for his opinionated and informed views of the microcosmic world of alpine skiing. In Snakebit, his first published book, Anthony reveals the truth few ski magazine readers know about. He is involved at a very personal level in the underground world of herpetology geeks. Opening with a vignette that melds the two loves together, a serpent hunt on a Finnish ski hill, Anthony soon leaves all mention of skiing behind and takes the reader into the strange world of Herpetology, the study of snakes, reptiles and other strange creepy crawlies this reviewer had never heard of previously. Anthony is adept at translating the inclusive language and culture of the "herping" world for the regular reader. Using humour as a lubricant and his own entertaining tales of adventure as a conduit, he endows a lifetime's worth of snake, frog and lizard knowledge on the reader, giving non-scientists like me more than enough trivia to share at the next cocktail party. From the venomous jungles of Vietnam to arid Armenia to his backyard of British Columbia, Anthony's intriguing and sometimes dangerous adventures transport the reader across the globe. But it's more than laughs and (literal) snakebites that keep the book slithering along, an empathetic sentiment for the creatures he chases comes through clear enough to move you but subtle enough that it doesn't seem like a sermon delivery. This book is one man's intimate journal of a life spent entwined and at the same time an environmental caution, an undercover travel memoir and, above all, a snake-geek manifesto that will open your eyes to the world of those who live to herp. - Mike Berard
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book!,
By
This review is from: Snakebit: Confessions Of A Herpetologist (Hardcover)
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Snakebit by Leslie Anthony. The science is accessible and readable, and the sections describing his personal experiences and descriptions of other herpetologists are humourous and fun to read.Highly recommended!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Service,
By Darci - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Snakebit: Confessions Of A Herpetologist (Hardcover)
Had great service. Received the book quickly and was in brand new condition. Will shop with them again! My son loved the book.
3 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scientific, thought provoking and fun,
By David J. Malosh "interested reader" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Snakebit: Confessions Of A Herpetologist (Hardcover)
Truly unusual among "pop science" books, this effort manages to combine rigorous science with lots of fun anecdotes and even some philosophical insights. Mr. Anthony has captured the whimsy and edge-traveling joy that seem to personify many herpers.
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