Brett L. Walker

An examination of the extinction of the two different subspecies (Honshu and Hokkaido) of wolf that lived in the Japanese islands. It does appear that a mixture of rabies and agricultural expansion in the Meiji era doomed the wolves. The author also delves into the history of how the Japanese viewed wolves, and the startling change that occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries, from "large mouthed god" to pest, paralleling what happened to wolves in the US in the same time period. The author, being from Montana, somewhat labours the point, but it is valid. Very interesting illustrations.… (meer)

nonfiction, medical, history *****

I can just see my adult kids roll their eyes at the idea of reading this book. As children of a nurse and with assorted family medical histories, they have been subject to lectures on their own personal medical histories plus the particulars of relatives throughout the twentieth century and beyond. The book is well written and should serve as a wake up call to those who speak medicalese. Having spent very many years translating medicalese to patients and others, I am afraid that the tone of the book is more like that of a thesis or dissertation and will miss the mark of teaching those who need the information most. But I do think that it belongs in paramedical curricula and continuing education.
Narrator John N Gully has an excellent delivery and has clearly researched pronunciations.
I requested and received a free audio copy via AudioBookBOOM.… (meer)