Deadly Kingdom: The Book of Dangerous Animals

If it's called "Deadly Kingdom," you can expect it'll be all about animals and the numerous ways they kill people. It's a grisly but well done book, which breaks animals down into groups from the cats and dogs to the worms and spiders. Full of fascinating little trivia bits (who knew how terrifying hyenas could be?) and worth a read for anyone who likes to learn more about the natural world. The writer doesn't sugarcoat and it can be a bit overpowering to hear of all the nasty ways you can be killed by a shark or a bat or a snake, but it's quite interesting stuff nonetheless.

In an age of 24/7 animal-themed channels on television, often regurgitating a mantra of "Protection!", one tends to forget that animals are in fact wild, and many of them extremely dangerous. In //Deadly Kingdom// author Gordon Grice carefully illustrates just how dangerous, with facts, statistics, and a few stories of his own encounters; in doing so he manages to slowly lift away much of the preconceived notions of what civilized folks view as "dangerous" and "safe" classifications within the animal realm. Beginning with the most beloved of domesticated animals -- the dog -- Grice hikes methodically along relaying his rather ominous observances of lions and tigers and bears ... also of cats, jellyfish, hyenas, sharks, spiders, snakes, deer and hippos. The stories contained in these well-penned pages consist of clear warnings and should be required reading for humans who wish to come in close contact with animals of any type. The report of a man being eaten by his seven exotic pet lizards proved especially disturbing. Due to human fascination with the topic, almost anyone can talk of deadly fauna and generate a bit of intrigue, but to weave the facts so artistically together as Mr. Grice has done takes considerable talent and a keenly felt interest. Reviewed by Meredith Greene