fairy skeletons.: Book Review: The Snake Charmer: A Life and Death in Pursuit of Knowledge by Jamie James

Photo from snakecharmerbook.com

In the fall of 2001, deep in the jungle of Burma, a team of scientists is searching for rare snakes. They are led by Dr. Joe Slowinski, at thirty-eight already one of the most brilliant biologists of his time. It is the most ambitious scientific expedition ever mounted in this remote region, venturing into the foothills of the Himalayas. The bold undertaking is brought to a dramatic halt by the bite of the many-banded krait, the deadliest serpent in Asia. In the moment he pulled his hand from the specimen bag and saw the krait, Joe knew that his life was in grave and imminent peril. Thus began one of the most remarkable wilderness rescue attempts of modern times, as Joe's teammates kept him alive for thirty hours by mouth-to-mouth respiration, waiting for a rescue that never came.


A daredevil obsessed with venomous snakes since his youth, Slowinski was a modern-day adventurer who rose quickly to the top of his field, discovering many previously unidentified snake species in his brief yet exhilarating career. 


Yay, nonfiction! This is my first nonfiction book review, and fitting... it's an adventure story... *sighs*

Anyway, it was some really intense stuff. I read really slowly when it comes to nonfiction, so it was a little painful to have to struggle through this. It was well worth it, though. In rich prose, Jamie James (I cannot get enough of that name XD) illustrated Joe Slowinski's life and death in great detail, especially in the Burmese jungle when Joe was dying.

I loved that I did not know anything about herpetology or Burma before this, and it was an enriching experience to read this book. I say go for it and read!