Product Description: The ultimate quest for the world's most mysterious creatures
The Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman -- these are the names of the elusive beasts that have caught the eye and captured the imaginations of people around the world for centuries. Recently, tales of these "monsters" have been corroborated by an increase in sightings, and out of these legends a new science has been born: cryptozoology -- the study of hidden animals.
Cryptozoology A to Z, the first encyclopedia of its kind, contains nearly two hundred entries, including cryptids (the name given to these unusual beasts), new animal finds, and the explorers and scientists who search for them. Loren Coleman, one of the world's leading cryptozoologists, teams up with Jerome Clark, editor and author of several encyclopedias, to provide these definitive descriptions and many never-before-published drawings and photographs from eyewitnesses' detailed accounts. Full of insights into the methods of these scientists, exciting tales of discovery, and the history and evolution of this field, Cryptozoology A to Z is the most complete reference ever of the newest zoological science.
A good introduction on the subject If you're new to cryptozoology or are looking for a quick reference quide on the subject then this book is ideal. Easy to read, compact and cheap. The book offers brief details about many strange creatures around the world, some that have been recently discovered (coelacanth), some famous (sasquatch)and some that you've likely never heard of before (shunka warak'in). Sadly the book, given its small size can only give brief descriptions of these creatures and a good portion of the book is devoted not to cryptid animals but rather to the people that look for them. While these people are interesting I would have preferred to have seen more material concerning actual animals or more information on those the book already mentions.
Essential Dictionary for Bigfoot, Yeti and the Loch Ness Monster Co-written by long-time cryptozoologist Loren Coleman, this little book is more like a dictionary of cryptozoology than an encyclopedia. For those not in the know, 'cryptozoology' refers to the study of 'hidden' or 'unidentified' animals - the Loch Ness Monster, Sasquatch, the Jersey Devil, Alien Big Cats, surviving dinosaurs and that sort of stuff. Whether your into serious research as to the existence of 'monsters' or just interested in folklore and weird phenomena, this book will be right up your alley.
The bulk of this book's 250+ pages consists of alphabetically organized entries related to cryptozoology, including famous or noteworthy Cryptids (the Minnesota Iceman, Ogopogo, Mokole Mbembe, Thunderbirds, etc), famous cryptozoologists (Bernard Heuvelmans, Ivan Sanderson, Roy Mackal, Richard Ellis, Dao Van Tien, Scott Corrales, etc) and other subjects of note. For example, although well known today, the giant panda receives an entry because it was for mystery to westerners until 1914! Likewise, Vietnam's "lost world" where many new species have been discovered also gets mention. Each entry is relatively short and to the point, so those looking for more detailed accounts of particular sightings will have to go elsewhere, but its still a great point of reference.
Of particular note is the amount of information on the more obscure and recent cryptids (or at least, less known to non-cryptozoologists). I mean sure, bigfoot, chupacabras and the Loch Ness monster are well known, but what about Australia's bunyip, the Beast of Gevaudan that terrorized 18th century France, or the deadly olgoi-khorkoi? What about the recent discovery of coelacanths in Indonesia? This book includes a sketches and photographs too. Theres a photograph of the mounted shunka waraki'n, a mystery predator that was shot in the Midwest, as well as the Minnesota iceman, the zuiya-maru carcass and even a pygmy elephant!
The book also includes a very brief definition and history of Cryptozoology, and a very nice time line (matched with the 'discovery' of various animals). Nice, but again most people with an interest in cryptozoology will have some idea of this already. Still, all in all this is a very handy little reference book, especially for those more obscure cryptids that you may hear about or see mentioned online. If you are unfamiliar with the field, then this is a great starting place, especially because there is so much great material that Loren Coleman has written on the subject. So check this book out. Then you too can know all about modern-day mermaid sightings, surviving prehistoric sharks, the emela-ntouka and the giant bird that attacked Marlon Lowe in 1977.
Not enough Creatures - too many creature hunter bios For the price it's OK - but half the books entries are bios of people involved in creature hunting and there is a huge number of cross-over entries that are Bigfoot-Yeti type creatures just under different names unique to their cultures. So only about 1/3 of the book, at best, is actually unique creatures to read about. The rest is bios and fairly redundant text on similar creatures under different names. It's only because of the affordable price that I gave it 3 stars instead of 2.
Excellent and entertaining! I have had this book for a while and just recently had to buy another copy because the original one I had was so beat up and well used that it finally fell apart! Mr. Coleman and Mr. Clark have outdone themselves. The information in this compilation of Cryptids and those that hunt them is exquisite. Though they left out some people and Cryptids the ones they included are well thought out and reserched and give enough info on the others for people to do thier own reserch if they want. I absolutely loved it and the fact that it is written in an easy to get lexicon is a plus! I can't wait for the next compilation from these two authors!
A great collection of cryptozoological oddities... This book is a fantastic addition to any researcher of strange creatures, paranormal phenomena, and bizzare mysteries.
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