This was a fun, fast read and I certainly learned some new things about the history of monsters - particularly about zombie-makers in Haiti. I had no idea zombie legends could have a pretty solid basis in history and science (Zora Neale Hurston did though, apparently). A lot of the science and theory behind it is probably guesswork anyone with a little understand of evolution and human psychology could propose, but it was still interesting. I don't think James Cameron's Avatar was as much as a revolution in human/monster reversal as Kaplan's conclusion claims it was, or that its so-called "resonance" with audience had anything to do with plot or themes, or anything other than fancy animation (booo Avatar!).

Ultimately, it felt a bit like a long, slightly repetitive college essay about the potential truths or reasons behind monstrous mythologies, but had enough tidbits and facts to keep me interested (if had been any longer than 200 pages though, I probably wouldn't have bothered). I did, though, appreciate the kind of threatening end to the book when he finally says outright what he's been hinting at all along and everyone knows and fears: we are the real monsters and we will surely destroy ourselves if we don't get it together.