Cryptozoology A - Z
Loren Coleman & Jerome Clarke
Fireside (Simon & Schuster)
Nonfiction, Cryptozoology
Themes: Cryptids, Encyclopedias, Water Monsters
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Description
What animals do we really share this world with? Modern zoology tends to think that, aside from the deep seas and a few inaccessible regions, we have a complete log of Earth’s wildlife, but many eyewitnesses beg to differ, reporting encounters with everything from giant ape-men to saber-toothed tigers and all sorts of creatures in between. Cryptozoologists track and study these creatures. Some prove to be nothing more than misunderstandings, but others are far less easy to dismiss, every so often leading to a new discovery that shocks the traditional zoological world. This book offers an A to Z listing of many cryptids (animals of interest to cryptozoologists, known from sightings but not yet officially studied or classified) past and present, as well as the researchers themselves.
Review
I got this at Half Price Books, and read it in under 24 hours. It seems to be fairy complete, though naturally the format doesn't lend itself to extensive discussions of the creatures or controversies. I would have liked a few more illustrations or pictures, just because it was sometimes hard to visualize some of the cryptids described. I still liked it, and only wish I could find more good books on cryptozoology and related fields; I seem to have a hard time finding good, up-to-date books in the local bookstore.