Dreaming in Turtle

September 17, 2018
In this enlightening book, journalism professor Laufer (Forbidden Creatures) takes readers on a journey toward understanding the human impact on turtles, an order of reptiles that have existed since the time of the dinosaurs. His objective is more than pedagogic, as Laufer hopes that his work will serve as a “call to action” to stop the trafficking that has put many species on the brink of extinction. Less loftily, Laufer shares his experiences as the owner of a pet desert box turtle named Fred; those sections offer much-needed humor (as when Laufer’s wife attempts to tempt Fred with organic raspberries from Whole Foods) as a counterweight to shocking accounts of cruelty, including the practice of carving steaks from living turtles to maximize freshness. Laufer also places the issue in a broader context, concluding with this powerful observation: “if we humans force the demise of these animals connected to ages that predate us, our disdain for their environment translates by definition to a lack of adequate concern for the sanctity of our own.” Laufer’s passion for his subject translates into an unexpectedly thought-provoking cri de coeur.

September 15, 2018
A new entry to the rapidly growing body of literature on endangered animals, this time about a species that has survived for millennia and is found around the world.Award-winning journalist Laufer (Chair, Journalism/Univ. of Oregon; Organic: A Journalist's Quest to Discover the Truth Behind Food Labeling, 2014, etc.), who is also a documentary filmmaker and broadcaster, has traveled the globe to examine the illegal trade in turtles. He shows the horror of this practice and of both the ingenuity and the stupidity of smugglers (in one chapter, he writes about a smuggler who was caught hiding turtles in his sweatpants). Among the author's reports on poaching, vendors, chefs, and undercover agents, Laufer inserts short essays on his relationship, or attempted relationship, with his pet turtle, Fred. Another personal touch are the author's accounts of his encounters with chefs; though he was able to calmly and carefully observe the preparation of turtle soup in a kitchen, the committed vegetarian never sampled the finished dish. The brief Fred stories are welcome changes from some of the disturbing scenes that Laufer describes. An especially memorable one was filmed by a Canadian schoolgirl touring Vancouver's Chinatown, where she witnessed meat being sliced from live turtles; happily, the publicity that followed did change some Canadian regulations. Judging from the author's report, however, not nearly enough is being done to protect turtles, tortoises, and terrapins (a distinction many general readers may not know). Laufer, who calls turtles "the canaries in the coalmine called Earth where we all live," views the process of saving them as being "of existential importance to us all," and his book is a clear call for action.The author tackles an endangered species with less obvious charm than pandas or dolphins, but his love of them and the lore he includes makes this a highly readable book.

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October 1, 2018

Laufer (journalism, Univ. of Oregon; The Dangerous World of Butterflies) pens an engrossing, well-researched celebration and study of turtles and tortoises. Traveling around the world, he observes their role in religious ceremonies, their easy availability in crowded, inhumane animal markets, researches how they and their eggs are prepared and consumed, and learns how turtle products are used for adornment and medicine. Animal traffickers buy and sell turtles for the often illegal exotic pet trade, in which rare species go for thousands of dollars, with many animals dying during shipment to collectors. He also speaks with the law enforcement officers who catch the traffickers and follows the disposition of trafficking cases. Laufer later describes conservation efforts and problems with releasing nonnative species into the environment. Interspersed throughout are tales of his own foster desert box turtle Fred. VERDICT Laufer claims everyone has a turtle story, and he shares a wide range of accounts in this love letter to the species that will appeal to those fascinated by turtles and who care about the conservation of endangered animals.--Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove, IL

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2018
Laufer (No Animals Were Harmed, 2011) was told by a Santeria priest that he needed a turtle for good energy and health. So begins his quest to document and understand the worldwide obsession with turtles and tortoises. In a wonderfully episodic book, perfect for slipping in and out of, Laufer travels the world in search of all things turtle. Touching a fossil of the oldest turtle-like reptile yet found makes him feel like he's bridging time, but this also drives home the fact that extinction is forever. A conflict between a massive solar farm and the desert tortoises who were there first is mirrored in the human impulse to pick up wandering tortoises and make them pets. A Cajun chef shows Laufer how to make turtle soup from snapping turtles (perfectly legal), while in a Chinese animal market even the revered turtles are mere commodities (mostly illegally). Turtle rescue stories mix with tales of patrolling beaches to protect sea turtles and of catching smugglers, while tales of Fred, Laufer's box turtle, provide an emotional connection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)