Cannibalism : : a Perfectly Natural History

Locations
Call Number: 394.909 Sc
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	394.909 Sc	4-week checkout	On Shelf

"Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son Limited."
Animal the cannibal -- Go on, eat the kids -- Sexual cannibalism or size matters -- Quit crowding me -- Bear down -- Dinosaur cannibals? -- File under: weird -- Neanderthals and the guys in the other valley -- Columbus, caribs and cannibalism -- Bones of contention -- Cannibalism and the Bible -- The worst party ever -- Eating people is bad -- Eating people is good -- Chia skulls and mummy powder -- Placenta helper -- Cannibalism in the Pacific Islands -- Mad cows and Englishmen -- Acceptable risk.
"Eating one's own kind is completely natural behavior in thousands of species, including humans. Throughout history we have engaged in cannibalism for reasons relating to famine, burial rites, and medicinal remedies. Cannibalism has been used as a form of terrorism but also as the ultimate expression of filial piety. With unexpected wit and a wealth of knowledge, Bill Schutt, a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History, takes us on a tour of the field, exploring exciting new avenues of research and investigating questions like why so many fish eat their offspring and some amphibians consume their mother's skin; why sexual cannibalism is an evolutionary advantage for certain spiders; why, until the end of the eighteenth century, British royalty regularly ate human body parts; how cannibalism may be linked to the extinction of Neanderthals; why microbes on sacramental bread may have led to Catholics' to persecute European Jews in the Middle Ages. Today, the subject of humans consuming one another has been relegated to the realm of horror movies, fiction, and the occasional psychopath, but be forewarned: As climate change progresses and humans see more famine, disease, and overcrowding, biological and cultural constraints may well disappear. These are the very factors that lead to outbreaks of cannibalism. As he examines these close encounters of the cannibal kind, Bill Schutt makes the ick-factor fascinating"-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Library Journal Review
Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Table of Contents
Fiction Profile

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

No community reviews. Write one below!