Reviews

Path of the Puma: The Remarkable Resilience of the Mountain Lion by Jim Williams

wehrsthebook's review against another edition

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adventurous informative medium-paced

4.25

luxvesperae's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

4.5


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skpensfan's review against another edition

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adventurous informative medium-paced

5.0

elvishmerecat's review against another edition

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1.0

I really wanted to get through this one but the writing style just wasn't my thing.

cinereus's review against another edition

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3.0

Beautiful photography and some cool sections and stories, really makes me want to visit Argentina! But more or less sticking with my initial impression that this would have worked better as a long magazine feature. Pretty repetitive and didn't have a strong overarching narrative, yet at the same time more journalistic/stylized rather than the more academic biology dive on pumas I was hoping for (though alas a common affliction of pop nonfiction and especially pop natural sciences).

biblioholicbeth's review against another edition

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4.0

I've always been fascinated with big cats - it's part of the reason why I have one tattooed on my leg ;) So when I was on a recent trip to California, and spotted this book in an Vroman's Bookstore, I grabbed it. And I'm so glad I did.

Jim Williams is a biologist that has been studying Puma in Montana for years. He's also been assisting with them in South America - so he knows whereof he speaks. It was fascinating, reading about the big cats, their prey, the studies done and still being worked on. And from the standpoint of a conservationist, who also grew up in a hunting family, it was eye-opening what he had to say about the state-sponsored hunting of these amazing creatures. I tend to be fairly open to reasoned arguments, and what he had to say about these hunts as *tools* was...hard to read? But also made sense. There has to be a middle line somewhere, between LET ALL NATURE BE FOREVER AND EVER and KILL THEM ALL BECAUSE THEY'RE EVIL/NUISANCE/IN THE WAY. And Montana, as much as it may pain me to point it out, seems to have found a way that works. I don't know how many others will agree, but...it's a process. And one that can only be helped by books such as this one.

As for the book itself - it's BEAUTIFUL. The photos are full-color, the paper is thick, the endpapers are awesome...all the way to the pawprint on the cover under the dust jacket (which, on its own, is also beautiful). There were a few errors that were missed by the editor, but...not enough that it caused any difficulty.

Overall, this is a book that will have a proud place on my shelf. It was an impulse purchase, but one that I'm glad I made.