Customer Reviews

Mean and Lowly Things: Snakes, Science, and Survival in the Congo

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2 star:		(1)
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Mean and Lowly Things is a gripping firsthand account of Kate Jackson's adventures as a herpetological fieldworker in the Congo. While the book provides the reader with scientific detail it's written in a style which brings the experience of conducting field research vividly to life, and as such it mirrors the best travel literature. Keen observations of culture and life are balanced by frank description of the frustrations, fears and feelings of inadequacy which all travelers undergo when venturing to the fringes of the map.

It becomes obvious within the first few pages that Jackson passionately believes in the epigram from Aristotle that opens the book: "To understand the world, we must understand mean and lowly things." Every page of the book breathes the excitement of discovery and the wonders of the forest, and she returns again and again to the message that there is indeed great value in studying toads and snakes.

The opening chapters deal with Jackson's early years of study and work in museum collections, which provides a fascinating insight into the world of hard science with a personal angle. But we really get into the meat when she finally organizes her own expedition to a remote field camp deep in the African Congo. The skills needed on such a venture weren't taught in graduate school. They were simply things that had to be figured out for oneself through a process of trial and error. And when dealing with venomous snakes, errors can be costly. We travel with her as she learns the ropes on a trip marred by civil war, cultural barriers, and a medical evacuation due to raging infection caused by a scraped leg that came into contact with contaminated swamp water. Despite this experience, she comes away with "an altogether irrational longing to return."

Jackson goes back to the Congo for two more expeditions, which are also described in the book. Her focus is on the work and on the phenomenon that she observes, and in that sense, as well as in the way she brushes aside discomfort and understates real dangers, her writing style takes one back to the great 18th and 19th century explorers who first described Africa's mysterious interior. In camp she slept beneath a patched orange tarpaulin on a simple groundsheet, covered in a mosquito net: a situation that caused her Bantu guide to quit because the living conditions were too harsh. The inedible food prepared by her cook - bland manioc which tasted like "a cross between a chunk of wood and an overcooked potato", and soup made with smoked fish which was often half rotten and infested with maggots - caused her to lose 10 pounds in the course of 5 weeks. And then there were the seemingly insurmountable cultural barriers.

But all of that discomfort and frustration is eclipsed by the wonders of discovery and by the thrill of the chase. It's a message of life lived passionately, with purpose, and to the fullest. All of us could benefit from that.

Kate Jackson is an incredibly gifted writer. "Mean and Lowly Things" blends the best of science, travel, and memoir writing with charm and humor. The story of her three expeditions to the Congo -- and of her lifelong passion for snakes and other "lowly" creatures -- is compelling reading. My first copy of this book has already been stolen by a relative who couldn't put it down after reading a few pages, so I've just ordered another!

"Mean and Lowly Things" is a phenomenal account of the trials and tribulations of herpetological field work in one of the most remote places of the world. Jackson tells her story of collecting amphibians and reptiles in the swamp forests of the Northern Congo without bias and in a way that highlights and accentuates the reasons why someone would long to camp in a secluded swamp forest to catch these creatures. "Mean and Lowly" gives down-to-Earth and easily accessible insight into the little-known area of herpetological field work. Jackson shows exactly how mundane things such as drinking water and dry clothes can be hard to come by in the field, yet how tenacity, passion and curiosity can overcome just about any seemingly insurmountable odd. From impossible government bureaucracies and maggots that grow in your skin, to traditional village customs and published scientific data, "Mean and Lowly" truly covers everything one has to deal with as a scientist in the field in an easy and enjoyable read meant for anyone. It is a wonderful and tantalizing book filled with stories that will make you want to leave for the rain forest tomorrow.

"To understand the world, we must understand mean and lowly things." - Aristotle

Kate Jackson recounts her expeditions with the flare of the best natural field scientists from Jane Goodall to Frank Buck - every bit as fascinating and courageous. Scientific exploration - hardships, danger, daring, mysteries, accomplishment, exotic cultural surprises. Including a glimpse into modern scientific camaraderie around the world and government bureaucratic malfeasance. Highly recommended glimpse of an intrepid person enjoying herself physically and intellectually.

"No person who is enthusiastic about his work has anything to fear from life." -Samuel Goldwyn

The reason that scientists don't know much about the reptiles and amphibians of the Congo, we learn in Kate Jackson's gripping Mean and Lowly Things is because it's a very difficult place to live and most scientists would rather work in places less remote. As a new Ph.D., Kate Jackson doesn't have much of a choice; she can go to the Congo and find snakes on her own, or she can play second, third, or fourth fiddle to some other researcher in a place with running water. Choosing the road less traveled seems to have made all the difference because Jackson turns out to be made of exactly the mettle needed for surviving in climates of perpetual damp, heat, bureaucracy, poverty, and, oh yeah, maggots, biting ants, malaria, sleeping sickness, foot long millipedes and of, course, cobras.

Reminiscent of Raymond Ditmar's very out of print Snake Hunter's Holiday Jackson plunges into the submerged and remote forests of the Congo with a resolve and story telling ability that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Whether cheering along as she captures venomous snakes, or cringing as she describes discovering that maggots are growing under her skin, either way, it's a gripping and enjoyable book that makes you appreciate those people for who intentionally choose the difficult path, try harder when things seem hopeless, and persevere.

Creepy crawly creatures are the least of Kate Jackson's worries when she travels to the Congo to advance her study of herpetology. The singularly unresponsive African bureaucracy, utterly wilting heat and damp, and the near-impossibility of getting around in a country where paved roads are little more than a memory are every bit as threatening as the most dangerous slithering serpent. This well-told account of Jackson's travels in the Congo is a must-read for anyone who wants to know what it's really like to slog through the jungle.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo

I'm no herpetologist but I couldn't put this book down! The author has a real knack for weaving together the details of how to do science with the excitement of real discoveries. She brings alive the magic of science, travel, survival, interacting with other cultures, and curiosity for how the world works. A great read!

I found Kate Jackson's "Mean and Lowly Things" both interesting and informative. I thought Jackson did a great job combining the scientific aspect of her work with the very human aspect of her research. For those of us that may not find it very exciting mucking around in swamps the interpersonal relationships between Kate and those she worked with were very captivating. Even when the focus was on the failed fish nets and drop buckets there was always a very human element to it! In a backhanded way I even learned something about snakes and frogs!

Great read no it may not have all the high-risk herps that some demand but real field work seldom does unless you are studying a hot species. I found the dealing's with the people in Africa to be so classic "first time in Africa I don't understand the culture mistakes" were a plenty. I look forward to watching her fieldwork mature through future books. I found her unassuming innocent nature both compelling and real. Many might want a more sit on the edge of your seat "will that hot herp kill her?" kind of story but I really enjoyed this as a more accurate reflection on fieldwork. If you don't love the herps you just wont put up with the conditions. Besides how can you not love a girl whose favorite herp is Nerodia?

This was a very interesting read, full of scientific information related to herpetology, and the nuts and bolts of organizing a field research trip to Congo. It satisfied my love of travel, as well as the science geek part of me.

The author has a genuine writing voice. She explained her thoughts, motivation, worries and joys of a young research scientist, as she accumulates experiences, as she makes mistakes, and as she learns from them.

The details of real research work in the Congo was very informative, but the personal narration made everything interesting. She explained how and why basic scientific research is done in a bigger ecological sense and in a museum collection sense.

As a bonus, I think this will be a good book to recommend to young people who are interested in going into science, particularly young women.