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trike's review against another edition
3.0
Recommended by the doctor who gave me my inoculations for my trip to South Africa, it is definitely a very well-researched book. However, it is by no means a good book to take with you, because it's huge. Lugging this sucker halfway around the world was a mistake.
I was surprised that it was limited solely to mammals. If you're going to see hippos, you will also see crocs, because they share a living space. (The dancing croc-and-hippo ballet sequence from Disney's Fantasia is probably inspired by an African boat trip.) Along with hippopotamuses and crocodiles, you'll also likely see water monitors. I really would've enjoyed reading about them on my trip, as well. It also lacks any birds. I'm by no means a birder, but the winged critters of Africa are sufficiently different, interesting and plentiful to warrant an inclusion in any such book. I saw more eagles -- and more kinds of eagles -- in my two weeks in Africa than I have in my entire life traveling around North America.
To sum up: very good book, limited to mammals, but complete within that limited scope. If you're going to Africa, this is one to read. But take a wider-ranging field guide type of book with you to get a more general background on the animals you'll see.
I was surprised that it was limited solely to mammals. If you're going to see hippos, you will also see crocs, because they share a living space. (The dancing croc-and-hippo ballet sequence from Disney's Fantasia is probably inspired by an African boat trip.) Along with hippopotamuses and crocodiles, you'll also likely see water monitors. I really would've enjoyed reading about them on my trip, as well. It also lacks any birds. I'm by no means a birder, but the winged critters of Africa are sufficiently different, interesting and plentiful to warrant an inclusion in any such book. I saw more eagles -- and more kinds of eagles -- in my two weeks in Africa than I have in my entire life traveling around North America.
To sum up: very good book, limited to mammals, but complete within that limited scope. If you're going to Africa, this is one to read. But take a wider-ranging field guide type of book with you to get a more general background on the animals you'll see.
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