Customer Reviews

The Field Guide to North American Monsters: Everything You Need to Know About Encountering Over 100 Terrifying Creatures in the Wild

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I found this book to be an enjoyable read, however, if you are looking for serious research and a serious approach to the topics, this book will not do.

Much of the criticism surrounding this book centers on the fact that it is not "serious." One only has to look at the cover to realize that this is a tongue-in-cheek look at various monster legends in the U.S. In many ways, the book is a parody of other field guides - only this one is a field guide about monsters. I suspect that some other readers were offended because one interpretation of the book's intent is that it is poking fun at those on the fringes of cryptozoology.

I found the book to be entertaining. The book contains a mixture of information that some cryptologists would consider factual along with the author's own embellishments. It covers most of the monster legends in the U.S. and there were quite a few of them that I was unaware of.

There are many illustrations. Some of them were well done although a few looked like a grade school kid drew them. The book has an abridged bibliography and a glossary although there is no index. It also lists each states in the U.S. and describes which monsters are reported to live there.

If you enjoy reading about American folklore and urban legends then you will probably enjoy this book. If you spend your nights roaming around with a flashlight looking for Chupacabra then this book will probably annoy you.

The author mixes information on genuine cryptozoological phenomenona (bigfoot, lake monsters), with chapters on blatantly un-cryptozoological subjects like the Mattoon Gasser (who was either a human assailant or a figment of mass hysteria), the Flatwoods Monster and Mothman (both possibly related to UFO sightings), and, god help the reader, the Boogeyman. The book is very superficial; only a few pages are dedicated to each creature. (The typeface is large, there's plenty of white space on each page, and the book is padded with LOTS of pictures, most of which I have seen published elsewhere.) Adding to the general aura of ditziness, each creature has a numerical ranking telling how likely it is you will encounter it in the wild, information on where it is most likely to be found, and solemn advice on what to do if you DO run across it. This advice, paraphrased, usually amounts to "Don't make any sudden moves, don't get too close, be prepared to run, and remember THEY EAT PEOPLE!" (I'm sorry I can't offer exact quotes from the book; I threw my copy into the trash immediately after reading it.) This book might -- I emphasize MIGHT -- be suitable as a gift for a 10-12 year old who's just getting interested in fortean or cryptozoological material. But it would be a waste of money for an adult, or anyone who is already familiar with the subjects this book covers, to buy it. Spend your money on something by Karl Shuker, Loren Coleman, or Bernard Huevelmans instead.

this book was in my library at middle school. I read it numerous times and found it highly entertaining. It is true that as a source for reliable cryptozoological information this is a bad reference but for a look into the folklore and urban legends of America, Canada, and Mexico this is one of the best I've seen. The author probably shouldn't have used the field guide approach for this and putting bigfoot and champ in the same book as the ahem boogeyman may be deemed as an insult by cryptid lovers but all criticisms aside if you want a look into the legends of North America this is a good starting point. HOWEVER I do not think that it is worth buying but if you can find it in a library as I did its worth a look for some laughs.

A decent overview of America's monster phenoms. Not a whole lot on any one subject, but makes for entertaining reading. Everything from Bigfoot to creatures totally unheard of by most. Not bad.

I find this field guide exceedingly interesting, if not frightening. Blackmen tirelessly explains the characteristics of different monsters with factual evidence, pictures, and drawings to create a definite page turner. However, I find a large portion of this book to be chock full of urban legends and myths that simply aren't true. For instance, Blackmen introduces the fact that Earwigs burrow into the ears to eat brains along with many other monsters consuming humans in some way, but this sounds way too farfetched itself to believe. And from what I see, there are no documentations to prove that Bogeyman also exist (confused with child murderers in this book), along with man-eating deer women. However, I find this book very well put together and informative if you can pick out the factual evidence, and is wll worth the money. A definite buy.

I've read some nasty reviews here, but rest assured that this book is one of the most organized and interesting you'll ever read on the subject. Personally, I love this book because of the way Blackman combines supernaturalism and cryptozoology into a realistic zoological field guide. Plus, the tips on how to hunt monsters give you something to do on boring days. I can't get enough of the enigmatic monsters in this marvelous book, and I really think you should give it a chance. So open up your mind, open up this book, and let it work its magic. Remember, it may come in handy some day...

Type in "cryptozoology" at Amazon.com. Now buy any other book than this one. Almost any other book, that is, as you do have to also avoid that fictional thing by the Cryptozoology Society of London. You'll find out 100 times more about the subject by buying something else than you would learn buying this tome. Buyer beware. Heaven help us!

What a book!
I love this sort of stuff,and as soon as i cracked this thing open,it was like it was glued to my hands! Half the creatures in here i had never heard of,but it was still a very juicey book.The Wendigo,Jersey devil, a slew of sea monsters,and enough Urban legends and campfire tales to cost you a good nights sleep,all combine to make this a fabulous reading adventure for the young and old!

On the outside this looks like the only book to own when it comes to those pesky North American monsters. On the inside it is a whole new ballgame. I don't know if the author was trying to be funny, sarcastic or downright dillusional for including some of these creatures in his book. Has a few good references but more than a few are absurd. Even factual accounts (killer bees) has the author giving bad information. Did he make this stuff up as he went? If you buy the book you probably will read it from beginning to end, not because it is that good but because you want to see what silly thing is said next.This book could have been condensed into...Everything You Need to Know About Encountering Over 30 Terrifying....Author certainly didn't do his homework before sitting down to type.