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RE: Book Review: The Snake Charmer
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by Cro on August 14, 2008
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"Phyllology" ?
As in the study of honey drenched, walnut laden, layered Greek / Armenian pastry ( AKA: BAKLAVAH ) ???
Must have been a cooking college !
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No need to spend $24.00 for a trip to Burma.
The price on this book has fallen like a rock.
The Snake Charmer can be purchased NEW on Amazon for $14.00.
For that price, it is probably worth buying the book.
Best Regards John Z
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Book Review: The Snake Charmer
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by BigBend66 on August 31, 2008
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This is not going to be popular comment about Joseph Slowinski but I found him to be a complete jack ass! He seemed to be quite the lawbreaker and for stealing the snakes from the Brazilian scientist was unethical.I didn't much care for the way he treated herps as well. Freezing live specimen by the dozens. I know it was for science {yeah yeah} but it didn't jive with me. His drinking and complete life behavior was unexceptible.He used to be one of my heros until I read the book.. O'sheh
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RE: Book Review: The Snake Charmer
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by Mark_OShea on October 13, 2008
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I read Jamie James' The Snake Charmer and enjoyed it although I did find some of the stories uncharacteristic of the leading scientist I believed Joe Slowinski to be. I wonder how many have been embellished for the narrative or how many of the sources have been completely honest and truthful to the author, since a dead man cannot sue for slander. On the whole I found the book absorbing and ultimately tragic, and it is a personal regret that I never met the man. I am currently writing a review of The Snake Charmer for the UK-based publication The Herptile, although work is back on the back-burner due to more pressing papers. I think it is a good read and it brings home the fact that snakebite in a remote location is a very very serious issue indeed.
I also spotted quite a few herpetological errors, as pointed out by "Cro", the most glaring being the "Dendroaspis" captured by Joe's Burmese assistant, which the author (James) then goes on to confirm to be a 'mamba'. Of course there are no mambas in Burma, indeed there are no mambas in the wild outside Africa, so I think this had resulted from a misreading of someone's field notes. It cannot be a confusion with dendrophila (Boiga) as they don't occur in Burma either, so maybe it is a confusion with Dendrelaphis, a genus of nonvenomous treesnakes found from SE Asia to Australasia with at least five species resident in Burma. It is, after all a big-eyed agile diurnal treesnake, like a mamba in general appearance. I am certain this was not Joe's error, taxonomy and snake identification was a speciality of his.
Such errors apart I recommend this book whole-heartedly, and I also recommend the next one I read, The Lizard King by Bryan Christy, a true account of the reptile smuggling business. Expect to recognise a lot of well-known people in there also.
Incidentally, BigBend66 signs off O'sheh - whoever O'sheh is, he is no relation to me !
Mark O'Shea
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RE: Book Review: The Snake Charmer
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by Cro on October 13, 2008
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Mark, it is good to see your review of the book The Snake Charmer.
I also have just finished reading "The Lizard King" by Bryan Christy, and what an outstanding book it is !
I will not say more, as Dr. Bob Herrington of this site will be posting a full review of the book here shortly.
After that is posted, I look forward to reading Bob's review, and your comments on the book here also.
I am also looking forward to reading / watching more of your Adventures in the future.
Best Regards John Z
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RE: Book Review: The Snake Charmer
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by hapkidocrochunter on October 14, 2008
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I just finished reading the book yesterday. I was excited to see it out on the shelves, as previously, I just read about him back in '02. I do feel bad for him, but he died doing what he loved best. At least it wasn't a viper bite which would have been very painfull. The heavy drinking wasn't very smart, and reaching into a bag carelessly...but hind sight is always 20/20. I did enjoy it, and would buy it. (I just went to Barnes n Noble every couple days to pick up where I left off).
It is sad though to think of the career that could have continued with him and his work with herps.
The dendroaspis comment took me off guard, if he did have the book reviewed, somebody should have caught it.
matt
Overall though, I thought it was a good read.
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RE: Book Review: The Snake Charmer
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by toddg on December 5, 2008
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I am almost finished reading Charmer ala Snake and am very much enjoying it! J. James is an excellent writer making the most mundane and boring anecdotes somehow seem interesting. That being said, allow me to “dog pile” on and point out a few more factual flaws: Southern pacific rattlesnakes are now c. Oreganus helleri, not viridis, Russell’s viper is a true viper, not a pit viper, and, type a venom producing canebrakes generate canebrake toxin, not Mojave toxin.
I really loved the part when, while camping, Dr. Joe would toss empty beer cans at Brady Barr’s tent just as he was nodding off. If I ever get the opportunity to meet Dr. Barr I’ll be sure to throw a beer can at him, wink, and say “That was for Joe”.
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Book Review: The Snake Charmer
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by tmoney on August 19, 2010
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Anyone else notice the horrible mistake of misidentifying the Krait? The reviewer, after getting it straight from the book, has listed it as Bungarus Fasciatus (Banded Krait). The snake that killed Joe Slowinski was a Many-Banded Krait (Bungarus Multicinctus). This is an important detail since this species is the only Krait that possesses Alpha Bungarotoxin, a virulent venom that can kill a human more effectively than 95% of all other elapids.
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