Tiger (Reaktion Books - Animal) | Date: 28 April 2011, 05:00
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Tiger (Reaktion Books - Animal)
By Susie Green
* Publisher: Reaktion Books
* Number Of Pages: 224
* Publication Date: 2006-09-15
* ISBN-10 / ASIN: 1861892764
* ISBN-13 / EAN: 9781861892768
Product Description:
Contrary to popular belief, it is the tiger, not the lion, who is the true king of the jungle. A male tiger can grow to eleven feet in length and weigh more than 650 pounds. Sleek, powerful, and mysterious, the tiger is revered as a potent symbol of sexuality and ferocity in many cultures around the world. Yet the tiger’s strength and beauty has also been its downfall—nearly every part of the tiger has a value to poachers, including the animal’s hide, teeth, bones, and even sexual organs.
With Tiger, author Susie Green explores the tiger’s new status as both predator and prey. She also examines the tiger’s rich cultural history, from its valued position in Taoist mythology and the Chinese Zodiac, to more recent interpretations of the tiger’s prowess in the work of Salvador Dali. Smart, readable, and lushly illustrated, Tiger will appeal to the wide audience that admires this wonderfully vital yet highly endangered species.
(20061103)
Summary: TIGER by Susie Green
Rating: 1
Susie Green's book TIGER published in 2006 by Reaktion Books UK and printed in China is a very superficial view of the subject. There is absolutely nothing new about tigers in this paperback, unlike Dr. George Schaller's phoenominal work THE DEER & THE TIGER, or Jim Corbett's classic works on Tigers including MAN EATERS OF KUMAON. No field studies conducted by the author for this book. Instead the author focused on books written by Valmik Thapar and Kailash Sankhala - one hated Jim Corbett who was detrimental in creating India's first national park to protect tigers in 1935, and the other completely avoided acknowledging Corbett for his works towards the conservation of tigers and other wildlife in India. Arjan Singh calls it a canard, and unfortunately both Sankhala and his desciple Thapar showed it.
Susie Green (most likely a pen name) copies Sankhala's hatred towards Corbett (without acknowledging it) by saying that Jim Corbett enjoyed the patronage of the viceroy, and if he chose to designate a tiger as a man eater, his judgement would not be disputed. She further goes on to attack Corbett thus " the killing of beasts even more dangerous than the regular run of vilified tigers made Corbett appear a bigger and brave man than the other hunters, a desire deeply embedded in his psyche.... and he rarely put himself in real danger" Her hatred towards Corbett is so intense, she continues to bash Corbett by calling him an 'enthusiastic animal slaughterer' and 'one of Raj's chief tiger slaughterers who manipulated the tigers' reputation so expertly through his blood curdling writing that he himself appeared as a saviour, was in reality a man with a massive lust for power and status'.
Whoever is behind the name Susie Green, one gets the impression that the author has done no research on tigers, never seen a tiger alive in her lifetime and has no qualifications whatsoever to tackle the subject. Instead of visiting museums and Thai temples, the author should have visited the tiger reserves and spent more time learning the basics about tigers by talking to people who have had actual encounters with wild tigers in the field. Bashing Corbett, who died in 1955 when Susie Green was likely in diapers, is like calling Sir Winston Churchill a sissy.
In short, the book is a great disappointment, then again buying a product from an unknown author is a gamble.It could have saved a few trees in China by not printing it. If it is not for the atrocious cost of the postage, I would have returned my copy of TIGER.
Summary: What a lovely book!
Rating: 5
What a lovely book! I bought this book after having a dream about a friend who was a tiger and imparted to me animal wisdom -- and knowing also that I was born the Year of the Tiger, I decided to learn more about tigers. Although this book explores in part the behaviors of tigers, it focuses considerably on the symbolism, meanings, spirituality etc. of tigers throughout history and across many cultures. The color photographs are high quality and add much to the fascinating text. Chapters include: Evolution and Natural History, Earthly Passion and Spiritual Balance, The Power of Image and Strength of Reality, The Psychology of Fear: Tiger Tamed and Degraded, Conservation of Tigers, Timeline.
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