Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Genre: Zoology, Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Mythology, Folklore, Natural History, Non-Fiction.

Book Review:
Ramona and Desmond Morris's ''Men and Snakes'' is a fascinating and wide-ranging exploration of one of the most complex and enduring relationships in human history: our relationship with the serpent. From the Garden of Eden to the present day, no other animal has played such a varied and significant role in human thought.

The book is a true interdisciplinary study. The authors, drawing on Desmond Morris's background as a zoologist and their shared interest in human behavior and culture, examine the snake's role in mythology, religion, art, literature, and psychology across cultures and throughout history. They show how the snake has been simultaneously revered as a symbol of fertility, wisdom, healing (as in the caduceus), and immortality, and feared as a symbol of death, evil, treachery, and duplicity.

The book is divided into sections exploring these different themes, from snake worship and snake charming to the snake in dreams and psychoanalysis. It covers a vast amount of material, from ancient myths like that of the Rainbow Serpent in Australia to the role of snakes in Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian traditions. At the same time, it provides accurate biological information about these often-misunderstood creatures, discussing their behavior, their venom, and their place in the natural world.

Praised by the Observer as a study of ''one of the most fascinating animal involvements in human history,'' ''Men and Snakes'' is a compelling and informative read. It successfully combines a review of serpent mythology with solid biology, and it should appeal to anyone interested in animals, anthropology, or the strange and wonderful ways we humans make sense of the world around us.