Citation

Wasser S. Evol. Psychol. 2004; 2: 50-51.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, The Author(s), Publisher Ian Pitchford and Robert M. Young)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Reviews the book, "Monster of God" by David Quammen (2003). The author addresses in his book about man-eaters: "Monsters of God." The book is about large predators eating people, people killing predators for trade or sheer entertainment, the role of predators in the ecosystem and how this makes them particularly vulnerable to habitat destruction, comparative anatomy of carnivore teeth, cultural beliefs surrounding large predators, the respect and hatred predators receive from the human race, and large carnivore conservation. The book is filled with fascinating stand-alone sections on each of these topics, all of which make a wonderful read.The author emphasizes how the placement of predators at the top of the food pyramid makes them especially vulnerable to habitat destruction. He also effectively describes the keystone role that predators play in shaping the environment and hence the potential for loss of predators to disrupt an entire ecosystem. He attempts to address the sticky issue of sustainable use of predators as a conservation strategy for large carnivores. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)