Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dr. Karl Shuker has written Cryptozoological Classic!, September 3, 1999
I first learned of Dr. Karl Shuker and his incredible book "In Search of Prehistoric Survivors" when I stumbled upon an issue of the British magazine Fortean Times. Noted cryptozoological researcher and author, Loren Coleman, referred to Shuker's book (reviewed Fortean Times #87 pg. 57) as "a straight forward examination of the idea that creatures from ancient times might have survived into the present" and "an excellent addition to the library of any zoologist, biologist or cryptozoologist." As a wildlife artist and avid reader of natural history subjects, I have always been drawn to the mysteries of nature. Prior to 1995 I had briefly heard of cryptozoology but had never known of the relentless pursuits of this subject by many outstanding scientists and researchers. I had mostly heard only the tired old legends of Loch Ness, Yeti and Bigfoot. I was pleased to find a book such as "In Search of Prehistoric Survivors" which introduces the reader to a myriad of unknown animals, far surpassing any I had come across in some of the popular natural mystery compilation books.Dr. Shuker's extensive bibliography alone is worth the price of the book. Dr. Shuker is sometimes chided for being a zoological romantic hopeful for his knowledgeable speculations as to the possible identities of these mysterious animals sighted around the globe. However, he is in good company in the category of scientific romantic hopefuls which would include Bernard Heuvelmans, the late Ivan Sanderson and Dr. Roy Mackal, who contributed a foreward to this book. So true are the words of the English preacher Charles H. Spurgeon answering anyone who would question if there really are inexplicable mysteries in nature. "Some things of nature must remain a mystery to the most intelligent and enterprising investigators. Human knowledge has bounds which it cannot pass." Understanding this undeniable truth, Dr. Shuker humbly provides an excellent guided tour of some of the world's most enigmatic zoological mysteries throughout this book. Author Loren Coleman concluded his review of "In Search of Prehistoric Survivors" declaring "Few books deserve a place on my cryptozoological 'classics' shelf, but this one certainly does". I must agree and also thank Dr. Karl Shuker for inspiring my own research with this meticulously written book.Wildlife Artist,William M. Rebsamen
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good up-to-date review of the search for unknown animals., July 23, 1996
By A Customer
Quite an interesting overview of the latest thinking in
cryptozoology, especially that of large animals. Divided
into chapters on land mammals, sea monsters, large birds,
modern dinosaurs, and so forth. Reading this book really
makes you wonder if there isn't a sauropod living in the
jungles of the Congo, or a thylacine hiding out in the
Australian outback. Shuker writes a cryptozoology column
in "Fortean Times", and has authored a number of books on
cryptozoology; unfortunately all but this one have gone out
of print (although there are cryptozoological elements in
his book on Dragons).
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An authoritative survey., September 2, 1999
Dr Shuker's knowledge of cryptozoology is second to none, a fact acknowledged by other senior researchers in this field, and he is uniquely qualified to write this book. He keeps right up to date with new developments in his field, and his views on the creatures he writes about are based on careful consideration, rather than wishful thinking as so often occurs in the literature relating to mystery animals. Dr Shuker is a reliable commentator, and all his books are highly readable.
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