Description: From Publishers WeeklyThere is no Cryptozoological Society of London, nor are there (as far as science knows) unicorns, kobolds, sphinxes, werewolves, batlike Japanese demons or man-eating horses, which the society purports to study. Since there isn't, and aren't, Levy and his band of photographers, artists and library researchers have produced a profusely illustrated coffee-table hoax, one that doubles as a multicultural reference book about mythical creatures. Levy and friends' achievement amounts to great fun, full of documents, detailed sketches and inventive reports of legendary fauna. Take, for example, the basilisk (Ophidiogallus basiliscus), whose mere glance kills all animals except weasels: "Everyone who observed the basilisk perished, so its appearance has always been in dispute." Men wearing suits made of mirrors freed Europe of the beasts in the 16th century, we're told, and its present-day range is confined to the Near East and Africa. Reproduced field notes show how the society teamed up with the "Balkan Werewolf Committee" to find Lyc-V, the HIV-like retrovirus that causes lycanthropy; a two-page article from Science Today explains how both HIV and Lyc-V work. The authors devote a few pages to amazing, but actual, animals, such as the giant squid, treating them just as they treat leprechauns, and many more pages to arguably more legitimate cryptozoological quarry, such as Bigfoot and living dinosaurs. Present and future zoology buffs may learn plenty of real science from the farfetched essays: folklore fans will learn even more. The volume's appeal may well prove wider still: think of this as the illustrated text from Harry Potter's biology class. (Jan.) Product detailsPublisher : St Martins Press; First Edition (January 24, 2000)Language : EnglishHardcover : 224 pagesISBN-10 : 0312207034ISBN-13 : 978-0312207038Item Weight : 2.55 poundsDimensions : 8.6 x 0.86 x 11.24 inches
Price: 10 USD
Location: Traverse City, Michigan
End Time: 2024-11-02T15:06:17.000Z
Shipping Cost: 8.13 USD
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Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Subject Area: Cryptozoology
Signed By: N/A
Publication Name: Natural History of the Unnatural World
Book Series: N/A
MPN: N/A
Original Language: English
Item Length: 11.2in.
Source Language: English
Vintage: No
Personalize: No
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Item Height: 0.9in.
Personalized: No
Features: 1st Edition
Item Width: 8.6in.
Signed: No
Ex Libris: No
Narrative Type: Nonfiction
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Intended Audience: Adults
Inscribed: No
Subject: Cryptozoology/Mythology
Edition: First Edition
Series: N/A
Publication Year: 1999
Type: Encyclopedia
Illustrator: N/A
Author: Joel Levy, Cryptozoological Society of London Staff
Level: Intermediate
Genre: Paranormal
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Item Weight: 40.7 Oz
Number of Pages: 224 Pages
