The Dangerous World of Butterflies: The Startling Subculture of Criminals, Collectors, and Conservationists

Peter Laufer's excellently written, intriguing book about wild animals in captivity is as amazing as it is shocking. This book should be required reading, not only those who wish to keep wild and exotic pets. If innocent victims of these wild animals read Peter Laufer's compelling book before they expose themselves to these real and unpredictable dangers, they will be better equipped to save face---literally as well as literarily.

Once again, journalist Peter Laufer has taken us into an unfamiliar world of beautiful and endangered beings. Once again, the real "forbidden creatures" are the humans who abuse other species for profit. Once again, Dr. Laufer's alluringly conversational style makes us feel as if we had gone along for the adventure. Luckily, we do not need to follow in his footsteps, chasing after this cast of nefarious characters. The author takes us to some of the world's weirdest corners and uncovers chilling aspects of the illicit animal trade. It's not all gloomy, however. There are plenty of laughs along the way, too. This book makes a great gift, but beware -- you might not want to part with it!

For those among us who have never before joined Peter Laufer for one of his true-life. journalistic adventures, Forbidden Creatures: Inside the World of Animal Smuggling and Exotic Pets, is not only an intensely enjoyable read, it is a perfect introduction to one of the most prolific storytellers of our time. For those of you who already know the pleasure of Laufer's writing, FORBIDDEN CREATURES is a must get for your summertime reading. The only caution I offer is that because this book is so rich in texture, so effective at taking you from your own reality into someone else's, some of you may find yourselves looking over your shoulder or peering into bushes worrying that some exotic pet owner may have just gotten sloppy and accidentally let loose a lethal snake or ever a tiger. This book, like Laufer's shelf of earlier adventures, carries you deep into hidden areas of life, penetrates where outsiders dare not go or are simply not welcome. You will meet real people whose choices have placed them in danger, despite their insistence that what they do is perfectly safe. As always, Laufer (one of the most honored broadcast journalists in America)has the special ability to listen closely and in the proces, to hear the music of dialect and word choice and to capture all that. The effect is to bring people to life right in front of you, as his words take you firmly by the hand for one adventure after another. The only complaint I is that when I'd finished reading the last chapter, I was hungry for more. The cure for me was picking up and re-reading one of his earlier books, THE DANGEROUS WORLD OF BUTTERFLIES. Another terrific journey into places I did not existed filled with very interesting people I would otherwise never have met.

You will be touched by these compelling stories. Peter Laufer reveals some previously unreported tragedies of the Iraq invasion. Unlike the predictable "collateral damage" to civilians in the line of fire, the casualties presented in this book are back home -- the families of those who made the difficult, principled decision not to fight and die in another pointless war. Laufer goes into their homes and their hearts and their heads. His thorough journalism shows the awful price one can pay to be a conscientious objector. While most Americans sit comfortably and ignorantly on the outside, Mission Rejected presents a painful insight into the reality of Bush's war. If you ever wondered whether there are parallels between this military adventure and the Vietnam War, here is solid evidence.