It needs to be made clear at the outset, to the non-scientific reader, that "animals" in the context of this book refers to mammals, birds, reptiles, insects and other invertebrates.
The book is in the style of a beautifully illustrated mini-encyclopedia with thumbnail sketches of 50 species. The writer gives clear accounts of the significance of the described species in relation to the progress of humans, the dominant species which forms the last section in the book.
Where the reviewer parts company with the writer is because the title is a sort of cliché, since history cannot be changed. As Gertrude Stein might have said, "history is history is history".
Many, perhaps most, of the described species have affected the tide of human affairs, for better or for worse, but one presumes that the number 50 was chosen as a matter of convenience and the writer then cast around for the necessary candidates to fill the spaces.
Many of the species are self-evident, mosquitoes, rats, horses and dogs for example, while others struggle to get a mention. The dodo would have felt flattered to be on the list while the domestic cat, undoubtedly a source of pleasure and comfort to many, will have scarcely, if at all, touched significantly the course of human affairs, although a mouse historian might differ on the last.
The bald eagle and the lion sneak in for reasons that have more to do with symbolism and heraldry than any economic significance. Domestic cattle and sheep are naturally included, as are silkworms and whales.
The last entry is reserved for our own species, which has gained from domestic animals on the one hand and suffered from parasites on the other.
This volume should certainly have a place on the bookshelf of any youngster, even in an age when Google and Wikipedia rule.
- Edwin Nye is a retired physician.
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