Listening to Cougar

October 29, 2007
This excellent and compelling collection of primarily personal essays by conservationists on their encounters with cougars successfully gives voice to a "controversial" animal. In "The Growl," naturalist Steve Edwards traces his journey from fear, after finding a cougar under his cabin, to collaboration, as he helps what he dubs the "innocent" animal avoid being killed by state police. Cougar expert David Stoner describes in detail how the animals live in the Colorado Plateau, which he calls one of the most rugged and least accessible landscapes left in North America, while American Indian expert Steve Pavlik examines the role of the cougar in Navajo mythology, emphasizing the importance of mountain lion beliefs and practices in traditional culture. But most notable are those essays that explore the "psychological value" of cougars, exemplified by teacher and activist Suzanne Duarte's "My Bush Soul, the Mountain Lion," a beautiful evocation of and tribute to her experience with the spirit of the mountain lion and how it began her initiation into the "deeper secrets of the psyche." With its wide range of scientific and cultural approaches, this impressive collection will help to shed light on America's greatest cat.

November 1, 2007
Puma. Cougar. Mountain lion. Panther. These words and the creatures they represent inspire awe, wonder, excitement, terror, and reverence in the writers whose contributions make up this anthology. Bekoff (emeritus, ecology and evolutionary biology, Univ. of Colorado; "The Emotional Lives of Animals") and Lowe (cofounder, Cougar Fund) have in a sensitive, factual, and respectful way provided us, through the eyes of others, a glimpse of this magnificent animal. Noted writers and poets like Barry Lopez, Rick Bass, and Gary Gildner share their personal encounters with the big cat, while biologists and conservationists discuss cougar ecology. Hunters, environmental activists, lovers of the outdoors, and Native Americans also offer their insightful perspectives. This well-written and informative volume is highly recommended for all public and academic libraries and natural history collections focusing on animal behavior.Melody Ballard, Pima Cty. P.L., Tucson, AZ

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2007
Humans have always been in awe of Puma concolor, the cat of one color, also known as the puma, mountain lion, or cougar. This largest of the small, nonroaring cats used to be found across North America, but human impatience with such a large predator has all but extirpated them from the East and concentrated their numbers in the mountains of the West. People rarely see these elusive cats, but when they do, the encounter is always indelibly etched on the consciousness. Collected here is a series of essays about the cougar, about its effect on the human psyche, about its place in the ecosystem, and about the emotional effect of viewing one. At times mystical, at times poetic, these tales of the meeting of human and cat are evocative of wildness and nature, both of which we all crave on some level.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)