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Monster of God: The Man-Eating Predator in the Jungles of History and the Mind by David Quammen

In Monster of God, science writer David Quammen explores the animals he calls alpha predators, large, man-eating carnivores. He serves up the history and lore of these animals, as well as their pessimistic future, as many of them battle extinction. Quammen goes in search of some of these animals, visiting India to find the Gir lions, Australia for salt-water crocodiles, Romania for the Carpathian bears, and Russia for the Siberian tiger. He points out these animals are keystone species, loss of them will send ripples down the food chain permanently affecting what had been their natural environs. Monster of God has received many positive reviews for its entertaining and enlightening tales of these imposing creatures. The Christian Science Monitor says, "This is an elegantly crafted combination of history, biology, sociology, anthropology, and adventure that raises provocative questions."