An Instinct for Dragons 1st Edition

by David E. Jones (Author)

12 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0415937290

ISBN-10: 0415937299

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First published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Review

"[A] fascinating subject and thought-provoking read." -- Journal of Scientific Exploration

About the Author

David E. Jones is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Central Florida. He is the author of such engaging and well-received books as: Sanapia: Comanche Medicine Woman, Visions of Time, and Women Warriors. He lives in Orlando, Florida

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Routledge; 1st edition (June 21, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0415937299
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0415937290
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.45 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #582,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #829 in Anthropology (Books)
- #1,778 in Folklore & Mythology Studies
- #2,184 in Philosophy (Books)

Customer Reviews:
12 ratings

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3 star		16%
2 star		5%
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Top reviews from the United States

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James B. Mattinson

Instinctively evolutionary

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2011

Verified Purchase

I have an interest in answers to the three big questions :-
1.Where did I come from?
2.Why am I here?
3.To where do I go when I am gone?
I've made considerable progress in finding answers to these questions but hit a brick wall when I realised that 'Instinct' plays a far more important role in our psyche than that for which it is given credit and/or is researched.
"An Instinct for Dragons" provides a 'missing link' in the chain of my comprehension.
It deserves massive attention.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

HCA

Interesting hypothesis, but somewhat lackluster presentation

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2007

Overall, I thought this was quite an interesting idea, and I suspect that Jones is correct, though I'd wager that the snake played a disproportionate role (though not the only one, as the other reviewers suggest) and that during the time in which we were savannah apes we also included the crocodile.

However, the support for this hypothesis is rather spotty. In several cases, he neglects compelling evidence (such as the total lack of dinosaur fossils on Hawaii due to their recent volcanic origins) or makes errors which should have been caught (such as suggesting snakes' eyes face their prey as they strike, when in fact the mouth opens so wide that vision is totally obstructed). In some cases, he reaches too far (attempting to justify every minor embellishment of the dragon as originating from one or all of the three original predators), in other cases not far enough (a surprisingly cursory view of the reactions of basal primates to snakes, particularly lemurs, which have been isolated from venomous snakes for ~90 million years). His sections of evolution were generally good, but were too adaptationist and failed to seriously examine factors such as genetic drift and founder effect which could have led to individuals with altered perception of the "dragon threat" being disproportionately represented in the genepool.

More importantly, Jones clearly has done his utmost of expand the idea to fill the minimum book length, which is clearly evidenced by the full-page figures and entire last chapter. This has resulted in long lists of evidence and myths scattered throughout the book which distract from and bury the main point. The addition of the section on The Tree of Life as a universal symbol was similarly distracting.

It's a good idea with some strong potential, but the way in which it was written was enough to bump it down a whole star in rating. In my opinion, it should be re-issued as part of a larger whole exploring the biological basis of other universal symbols such as the tree, with much of the evidence and myth relegated to an appendix and with a herpetologist or at least an evolutionary biologist reviewing it prior to printing.

5 people found this helpful

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Jason Fisher

Interesting idea, but ultimately unconvincing

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2007

First, I have to give Jones credit for the imagination behind his premise. It's a very interesting one, with (on the surface) a lot of potential. But -- and you knew there had to be a "but", since I gave the book a mere two stars --

The book is dry, dull, and finally unconvincing. It reads like a doctoral dissertation rather roughly adapted for the general interest audience. And while Jones might be onto something *within one or two very specific cultural contexts* (e.g., China and Africa), in the main, I think he's very wrong to suggest this anthropological patchwork, where dragons are an amalgam of the eagle, leopard, and snake. No, I have to agree with B. Boesenberg that dragons (at least, the European variety) are really just snakes "with wild imaginings attached".

3 people found this helpful

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B. BOESENBERG

INSTINCT FOR DRAGONS--A HERPETOLOGIST DOUBTS IT!!

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2005

Mr Jones tries very hard to prove that dragons are combinations of the eagle, the leopard and the snake. Unfortunately for Mr Jones he needn't have bothered. Dragons aren't composit creatures. They're snakes with wild imaginings attached. Mr Jones goes to great lengths to "chimerize" the dragons and demystify the myths. But this isn't necessary! Snakes had the power to resurrect themselves from the dead when they shed their skin, (supposedly). Snakes were the unblinking, killers of men with one bite, (supposedly). Snakes were the models for the "python priestesses" and the raw materials that created the dreaded envenomed weapons. It is still the snake today that crawls through many a nightmare. This is the true dragon of old, enemy of George, the Leviathon that God can't kill, the moon powered antithesis of all sun/thunder god peoples! Go back and read Joseph Campbell!!

9 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Gretel

At last! A good explanation for the World Dragon Myth.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 28, 2010

Verified Purchase

I have (along with many other people) long been fascinated by dragons - indeed, I was born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon. For many years I wondered where the myth originated and why it was so widespread across all civilisations, with very few variations.
Well, David E Jones (probably not the one formerly from the Monkees!) has come up with a fascinating, compelling and very believable explanation, based on his research into monkey behaviour.
I won't tell you what his proposal is because you'll want to have that 'Ohhh!' moment for yourself. But I will tell you that the book is deceptively easy to read at first. Jones lulls the reader into a false sense of security by recounting dragon myths from around the world in a very readable and engaging way. Then, just when the reader thinks this is a light-weight and amusing book, BAM! He hits you with the anthropology, sociology, psychology and lots of other ologies.
I would highly recommend this book if you've ever wondered where the Dragon myth came from and why dragons are still so popular across the world today.
Be prepared for some quite stiff reading at the same time, this isn't a book you can while away a lazy hour or two with - this book needs considerable input from the brain in order to fully understand the science behind his theory.
BTW, I think he's right ...-

5 people found this helpful

Teerose

a dragon classic

Reviewed in Germany on October 15, 2015

Verified Purchase

At first I should note that I had the book delivered from USA to Germany, so it took some time. I needed the book earlier for my Bachelor's thesis and contacted the seller. the customer service was really nice, but there was nothing they could do. Shipping US books takes time.

The book itself IMHO is a dragon classic. If you're remotely interested in the cultural history of the dragon myth I recommend this book. It's often overlooked because of it's age but don't let this fool you. You won't be dissapointed

One person found this helpful

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An Instinct for Dragons 1st Edition

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About the author

David E. Jones

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