Reviews (2)

Made me want to study these creatures!!!
This book takes three social carnivores many people hate--African wild dogs, jackals and spotted hyenas--and tells their stories.Such a book is especially needed in the present day, when African wild dogs are endangered and spotted hyenas near threatened.van Lawick-Goodall and van Lawick-Goodall are world-class animal behavior scientists, and yes, they are Jane Goodall, the famous chimpanzee researcher, and her husband Hugo van Lawick, the wildlife photographer who captured the chimps on film.As in their general-audience works on chimpanzees, the text is lucid, entertaining and informative.The photographs, although black and white, are excellent.

The authors skillfully present these animals as individuals, with fascinating individual temperaments, and I found myself caring about them as they engaged in the drama of their lives.I also learned a lot about these three species, and wished I could have learned even more.As van Lawick-Goodall and van Lawick-Goodall focused their research more on chimpanzees, this book represents relatively few years of research and does not contain the most up to date information about these animals.The authors are much more familiar with their chimpanzees, having spent more than thirty years with the apes in contrast to the two or three years of research this book represents.Correspondingly, Goodall and van Lawick's chimpanzee books are better.However, this book is still excellent.I particularly liked the hyena section, because the social system of hyenas is unique, complete with female dominance, and extremely complicated.And no, hyenas and jackals are not really scavengers, but kill most of what they eat themselves.

Although wolves and lions have received much publicity as social carnivores, the three species featured in this book are perhaps even more interesting.There is a dearth of popular books about them, and _Innocent Killers_ is probably the best on the market.It is disappointing this book has not become more popular, because it is a gripping tale with unique protagonists.

Hyenas, jackals and wild dogs - oh my!
Just so you know, Jane van Lawick-Goodall is more commonly known as Jane Goodall - yes, the one that works with chimpazees. Hugo van Lawick-Goodall was the photographer as well as her husband during the chimpazee studies.

This book manages to make 3 animals that most folks do not have a lot of love for and make them interesting reading. I don't particularly like hyenas and the description of how they eat their prey alive is unnerving but it is also fascinating. Hyenas (as well as jackals and wild dogs) kill their prey with a method known as rapid disembowelment. The prey dies very quickly as opposed to the methods lions (as well as cheetahs and leopards) use which is suffocation. Suffocation can take at least ten minutes if not longer to kill the prey. I won't presume to know which is the most painful way, but rapid disembowelment would seem more efficent from the predator's point of view.

They spend over two years studying spotted hyenas, golden jackals and wild dogs. The information about the social structure the animals participate in as well as their hunting methods are described in great detail. You don't have to be a zoologist or have specialized training to appreciate this book, but I think being an animal lover would be a great help.

One of the more interesting parts to me was when M's van Lawick-Goodall talks about taking her baby son along on this expedition. She details how she tried to make it as safe as possible for Grublin and how he grew up with the animals.

Reviews (6)

Needs funnier hyenas
A collection of 25+ "amusing and hilarious" stories from various travel writers. Okay, there a some slightly amusing stories in this compendium of travel and the best story is "The Snake Charmer". For a best of humor moments, this collection is sadly void of the humor. Not to say the stories for the most part weren't nice little snippets of their travels, but overall it falls far short of being outright boisterious. The high points of interest are Snake Charmer, Monstrous Dildo, and the explosive release while attending a mass gathering of India peoples for a religious observance. Many of the stories range in length of 4-7 pages, hardly enough to get you interested and then they end abruptly. The book is worth reading, certainly, but not one I'm likely to reread. For me, the first half of the book was much better than the second half.

Hyenas Laughed at Me for Buying this Book
I'm a big fan of the Traveler's Tales Series, having read The Best Travelers' Tales, Spain, Greece, Australia, etc.After reading the VERY FUNNY "Snake Charmer of Guanacaste", a short story that is also in the Best Travelers' Tales, I was expecting more of the same humorous situations in travel.This book, however, sorely underdelivers.It is hard for me to recall a single other funny story in this book, with the possible exception of the Monster Dildo.Which isn't even as funny as it sounds.Now I'm not one for forced humor, but there are obviously funnier stories about traveling than those listed here (I know I have several of my own).

The biggest disappointment, however, is this book's contrast with the vastly superior Best of and individual country books.I feel shortchanged and as if the hyenas are laughing at ME.

Isbn: 1930665830
Sales Rank: 1039692

Reviews (4)

For the very keen wildlife watcher
I suspect the book is a little over my head, but it's very thorough & well-reasearched. For a layman like myself, I think I'd like photos - or colour pictures of the animals too - but as the author says, the book goes beyond the normal "field guides" which aim to help with animal identification.

If you want to know things like how the lives of a dikdik & a duiker differ (but you could tell them apart), this is the book for you!

For the very keen wildlife watcher
I suspect the book is a little over my head, but it's very thorough & well-reasearched. For a layman like myself, I think I'd like photos - or colour pictures of the animals too - but as the author says, the book goes beyond the normal "field guides" which aim to help with animal identification.

If you want to know things like how the lives of a dikdik & a duiker differ (but you could tell them apart), this is the book for you!

Reviews (21)

Notes That Matter
This book is full of meaning, often insightful and completely unforgettable it is written with candor and wit despite its serious edges.

Nega Mezlekia has written a memoir about his boyhood growing up in Ethiopia during the fall of Emperor Selassie. He experiences all of the curious playful things that all boys are reared with yet he also discusses the harshness of the environment during the rise of Junta communism in which thousands of young people were ruthlessly slaughtered. He writes on page 183, "Apathy in the face of continual violence is something someone who has never lived through a war cannot understand......People simply gathered about themselves, like rags, what life there was left, deafened and inured to the inevitability of death."Although Mezlekia has many horrible atrocities to write about this is not all he adheres to. At times this memoir is very witty and I laughed out loud several times imagining some of his shenanigans. His adventures with medicine men and native cures is hilarious as well as his attempt to capture the loose cattle in his village with pepper.

I am always impressed with the attitude of Africans who survive the atrocities they have faced in their home countries. Their spirit and survivalist hearts seem to always prevail despite the horrible circumstances they are often forced to endure. Mezlekia managed to escape his country at possibly its worst moments, not without heartache, not without suffering, but with a true gift as a storyteller. I would recommend this memoir to everyone interested in a great true tale but especially to those concerned with the plights of our fellow human beings who suffer so gracefully for their native lands.

!!! Alright !!!
I read "Notes From The Hyena's Belly" because my 7th grade English teacher assigned it to me personally. At first I honestly thought that it was going to be just a stupid autobiography, but it turned out to be excellent!!!

"Notes From The Hyena's Belly" was a book that started from the very second Mezlekia was born, and told his story until he left Ethiopia later in his life. But this is not just a long autobiography that stuck strictly to the facts. It was VERY funny, and generally politically correct... :-D

Combining fact with humor, Mezlekia creates an image of his life in Ethiopia so vivid, you feel that you are there, following him around. From school to church, each part of the book is beautifully orchestrated so that everything makes sense. The book moves at a quick pace, but not so fast that you don't have time to enjoy the occasional joke. :-D Hehehe. A good book. And the moral of THIS story is, if your teacher tells you to read a biography/autobiograohy of choice, take the fun way out and read this one!!!

Finally, an authentic Ethiopian story in english
I mistakengly judged this book to be rubbish based solely on the cover. To my surprise, it turned out to be an exciting and adventurous story about growing up in eastern Ethiopia, in a town called Jigjiga. The author's aptitude for narration is pleasing, as he does not leave the reader to digress.

Isbn: 0520219015
Sales Rank: 311684
Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Anthropology - Cultural    3. Ethiopia    4. Jews    5. Judaism    6. Judaism - General    7. Mythology    8. Public opinion    9. Religion   

Reviews (9)

New Tome Examines the Unexplored Niches of Worldwide Lore
Jamie Hall's goal is clear from the start of 'Half Human, Half Animal'. He intends to bring up every aspect of werewolves and shapeshifters that has habitually been ignored by authors writing werewolf books for general audiences. In this respect, he certainly succeeds. Many topics in this book will be completely new to most readers. Seasoned intellectuals and folklore specialists will recognize a number of topics that have previously been covered in academic articles and obscure books published mainly by university presses, but which are seldom seen outside those venues. Jamie Hall manages to filter these academic treatises for a lay audience with remarkable finesse. He leaves the dry theorizing aside to present one interesting folktale or curious custom after another, with just enough background information for readers to appreciate the cultural significance and not get lost. The density of material is surprising. Few writers can manage to include so many legends, anecdotes and details of various sorts in just 300 pages without seeming rushed or jumbled, but Jamie Hall manages to avoid this problem.
He steers the reader through a whirlwind of cultural bogey-men, pranksters, monsters and heroes. The breadth and depth of this book clearly distinguish it from peer works, and should guarantee a place for it on library shelves. It will complement, not compete with, other books on the same topic.
The subject of this book is worldwide legends and lore about people who could change into animals or, in some cases, animals who could change into people. It contains folktales about the more usual animals, such as (were)wolves, cats and foxes, along with more exotic specimens of the shapeshifter archetype, such as dolphins, snakes and hyenas. Not content with a focus on the various species of shapeshifter that are usually ignored, Hall trumps other werewolf books by also having a truly worldwide, multicultural depth and by examining werewolf legends of several obscure types. He looks at American werewolf legends in some detail, including the discipline of urban legends.
Hall is also keenly interested in werewolf fandom and seems to be a dedicated fan himself. He knows a great deal about werewolf fiction, and includes a gigantic appendix of novels, movies, television shows, video games and everything else. The only item I see lacking is plays, but I suppose we can do without a list of the greatest werewolf plays. As the back of the book reads, there are "over 250 films and more than 500 books" in these fiction guides. Not only are these lists longer than most I have encountered online or in books such as those by Leonard R. N. Ashley or Brad Steiger, but they are also more helpful. Rather than just including a title and author, Hall includes a remarkably succinct description for each work of fiction, getting right to the point of what the novel or movie is about and exactly what part a werewolf or shapeshifter plays in it.
This is a thoroughly delightful book, romping through history, anthropology, and the realms of fiction, all seen through werewolf-colored glasses. I recommend it heartily to most readers, with one reservation. The book's sole problem is Hall's desire to make it much different from other books about werewolves. The same characteristics that lead us into so many exotic, little-explored niche areas of mythology will leave some readers high and dry. Hall forgets to include some of the basics. Legends that have made it into nearly every werewolf book ever published are curiously absent from Hall's work. He reduces the entire craze of Medieval werewolf trials to a three-paragraph summary that is rather dismissive because, as Hall states, the trials are boring, repetitive and chock full of ideas that came directly from convoluted theological teachings that were not understood by the average peasant, the source of most legends. Therefore, the trials did not have much to do with the legends, and since Hall's book is about legends, it ignores these trials. This line of reasoning allows the author to leave out what should be a basic part of every werewolf book. Another area of lack is the explanations for why people have believed in werewolves, kitsune, human hyenas and the like throughout history. Most books include copious material on this subject, but Hall only includes enough to get by. In his case, each explanation is tied to a legend or custom that has just been told. It is enlightening to see explanations presented in this way, but the book really needs a large section devoted just to these explanations, especially since Hall's mind has come up with some unique, clever, yet simple explanations that people should have thought of years ago. I would wish to hear more about them. The only other complaint I have is that it is a paperback. This book is the sort that will be consulted again and again, and paperbacks simply can't stand up to long-term abuse like hardcovers can.

Hats off to a well-rounded book
In this age, it seems to be popular to sensationalize topics such as werewolves and vampires. Authors love dragging the subject into the gutter by clinging to cliches ... trying to connect everything to demons and witchcraft ... or pretending that everything from mythology is just like it is presented in the latest horror movies. Jamie Hall bucks these trends and delivers a well-rounded look at werewolves, werecats, werefoxes and others. He reveals that every culture has some kind of cousin of the werewolf. He traverses haunted, abandoned temples of ancient Japan ... the sheep pastures of American pioneers ... even modern legends like that of "White Wolf Woman" who saves travelers who get lost in snowstorms. You can meet a bloodthirsty snake-demon in the form of a handsome young man ... an African hyena-man who works hard to bring meat home to his hungry family ... or a werewolf who defends a saint's severed head. Jamie Hall maintains a certain distance from the legends, never gushing out an annoying "could this be true?" or launching into a dry lecture about exactly why we should not believe in werewolves. He seems intent on holding up this bauble of mythology to the light and showing us all angles of it ... from the oldest mythology around to urban legends just a few years old ... from lions and foxes to deer and rats. If you like mythical creatures or really good folklore books, get it. In a genre that often spits out the same few legends and is often hopelessly misinterpreted, this is a new ray of light.

Reviews (532)

DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE WANNABE FANS...
Like a fine wine, this series is definitely getting better.Narcissus in Chains is by far my favorite book by Hamilton.A lot of people don't seem to understand the importance of building characters.This book didn't have the cheesy solve-the-mystery-and-hunt-down-the-bad-guy syndrome that quite a few Anita Blake stories have had.This book delves into psyche of Anita and reveals to us what makes her tick, finally accepting who she is, and ultimately, the sacrifices she has to make.The author has finally hit her stride and earned the R rated label that this series has been quoted to be.This is an adult book and if people don't like it, they can switch to reading Buffy The Vampire Slayer.I hope the unwarranted negative response to this book doesn't force Laurell Hamilton to dilute her future novels.Critics must understand that if a character doesn't change throughout a series, they will never evolve and grow - for good or bad - but that is something that Anita Blake is starting to do and I couldn't be happier.

Not the Anita *I* remember.
This book is when the series started getting, quite frankly, ridiculously tacky. Not only did Hamilton throw the series from an intriguing fantasy/horror story, to a supernatural Harlequin romance novel, but she has made Anita acquire entirely too many powers for one person.

I knew Anita was going to get pretty powerful, since she always had potential to become so. However, power over vampires, werewolves, AND wereleopards? She's [supposedly] still a human being. Part of what I liked about her is that she HAD limitations when going up against the monsters, but would manage to survive despite that, usually with the aid of her weapons and her wits. She struggled, she fought, she kicked butt to the best of her ability.

Now, she's this uber-powerful superwoman, with powers that even the other characters are surprised she can have. Not only that, but she's become a complete nymphomaniac. Some sex here and there does add a little something different, but when it becomes more prominent than the actual STORY, it becomes a genuine problem. I got into this series because it was a cool fantasy story. If I wanted porn, I'd have looked in the "Romance" section to begin with.

If Hamilton had written this series with the initial intention of making it erotic, I'd say these books are okay. But, it didn't start out this way. There was a real plot, and Anita was a character that some of us could relate to, with her inner struggles and her very human limitations.

Now that she doesn't really have those limitations, and has stopped fighting her dark side almost entirely... I'm finding very little of the Anita I liked so much at the beginning. Couple that with the in-your-face tacky sex scenes that seem to occur almost every other chapter, and I'm not seeing a whole lot of the series I had once enjoyed so much. Even the plots for the books seem to be getting thinner with each installment, as if Hamilton is either running out of stories for Anita, or has just plain gotten lazy in recent years.

Long story short, this isn't the Anita Blake I remember. But, if you don't mind supernatural erotica with only a hint of plot, you might enjoy these books. Hell, I recommend that you try reading the newer installments anyway. As bad as I (and a few other reviewers) make it sound, you might actually enjoy it more than we did. Give it a try, see if you still like it. Personally, I didn't, but I highly doubt I'm of the popular opinion here. ;)

Reviews (1)

Isbn: 0525675108
Sales Rank: 1292143
Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Fairy Tales & Folklore - African    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Single Title    6. Folklore    7. Malawi   

Isbn: 073986601X
Sales Rank: 775071
Subjects:  1. Animals - General    2. Animals - Mammals    3. Children's 9-12 - Nature / Guide Books    4. Children: Grades 2-3    5. Hyenas    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Juvenile literature   

Isbn: 1563081695
Sales Rank: 1298681
Subjects:  1. Children's Literature - Storytelling    2. Folklore    3. Folklore & Mythology    4. Kenya    5. Literature - Classics / Criticism    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. Storytelling    9. Tales    10. Teaching Methods & Materials - Reading    11. Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / Reading   

Isbn: 1569245363
Sales Rank: 643349
Subjects:  1. American - African American & Black    2. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    3. Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology    4. Folklore & Mythology - Folklore    5. Social Science    6. Sociology    7. FICTION / Folklore   

Reviews (7)

Best Safari Companion Book
I just recently went on a 2 week safari in Kenya. I bought multiple books prior to my trip and this was the only one I truly used. It is paperback and lightweight and has all the information you could possibly need on a safari in Africa. I used the Swahili translation page, the journal pages and maps of the national parks we visited. Most importantly I was able to look up any mammal or bird or tree we saw very quickly and find just the right amount of information.
I only wish the bird pages were in color as it was hard to identify birds looking at black and white pictures in the book.
But, other than that, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is going on a safari in Africa.

A first-rate, extremely useful, "user friendly" resource
African Safari Journal is an excellent companion to appreciate and record the once-in-a-lifetime experiences offered by an exciting African safari as it combines a wildlife/botany guide; a simple language phrase book with phonetics in Swahili, Shona, Tswana, Zulu, and French; a trip organizer; a map directory; a journal for writing personal thoughts and observations, and so much more. A first-rate, extremely useful, "user friendly" resource, consulting guide, and souvenir for lasting memories, African Safari Journal is enthusiastically recommended for anyone planning a trip to the Dark Continent!

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Isbn: 0691007373
Sales Rank: 50633
Subjects:  1. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    2. Nature / Field Guide Books    3. Nature/Ecology    4. Science    5. Wildlife    6. Zoology (General)    7. Biological Sciences    8. Birds and Natural History    9. Nature / Wildlife   

Isbn: 0415224411
Sales Rank: 1043977
Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Anthropology - General    3. Archaeology / Anthropology    4. Folklore    5. Human-animal relationships    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. Human ecology    9. Pollution & threats to the environment    10. Social & cultural anthropology   

Reviews (1)

Beautiful & Massive Documentation of Life on the Savannah.
Anup and Manoj Shah have distinguished themselves in the populous field of wildlife photography by producing expressive and beautiful portraits of wild animals thatdocument the individuals' lives while achieving impressive aesthetic grace. Many of the brothers' photographs are simply unforgettable works of art that I never tire of looking at. "The Circle of Life" is a massive book that contains 235 photographs of wildlife on the African Savannah. About 40 species of mammal are represented, as well as some birds and reptiles. In the most comprehensive photographic essay of wildlife that I have ever seen, the Shah brothers document the lives of the many animals who live and die in this vast African ecosystem that spans much of Kenya and Tanzania. The authors have organized this photographic odyssey by dividing the book into 20 chapters, each showcasing one aspect of life on the Savannah. The early chapters show us the basic elements that create and sustain life. Some example chapters are: "Driven by Wet andDry", "Light and Energy", and "Shaped by Fire and Elephants". The book then moves on to the subjects of birth and growing up on the Savannah. "Natural Selection", "Adaptation and Diversity", "Peaceful Coexistence", and "Mother and Offspring", for example. Then we see the lives of adult animals. Some examples are: "Herds and Social Groups", "Grazers and Browsers", and "The Hunters". And finally these animals die, returning to the earth, and the "circle of life" begins again: "Scavengers and Decomposers", "Land and Life". Each chapter begins with an essay written by Anup Shah that explains what that particular facet of life on the Savannah entails and how it fits into the greater life cycle.

Reviews (6)

Picture book
The pictures are stunning.

But it is only a coffee-table book, and there it will remain,because pictures is all it is. You get no sense of place; it is impossible to orient yourself ... a nice picture of an elephant is just that, and this book provides no context whatever.

But, it does have nice pictures.

Pictures, just pictures
The pictures are fine, but this book won't show anyone interested in wildlife anything new - & it doesn't explain anything...