The Lizard King: The True Crimes And Passions Of The World's Greatest Reptile Smugglers (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
A riveting cat and mouse hunt between the kingpin of reptile smuggling and the rookie Fish and Game guy who'll do anything to prosecute him. It's a story of passions; for nature, greed, thrill and family. The style of writing didn't amaze me at the start but it gets better as it goes; at the halfway point I couldn't help but race to the finish, anticipating the final showdown and the conclusions of all the major characters. A relatively short and fun, though often heartbreaking, read and a glimpse into the intertwining of legal and illegal wildlife trade. I highly recommend it! Having looked at Strictly's price lists during the time frame this all went down, I felt like I was a part of this story. It's amazing the things that were going on that no one ever had any idea about. I know I never thought about it back then. Then I was just a twenty something who dreamed of owning some of the things on those lists (without the cash, I did a lot of dreaming). I'm not, nor ever will condone the things these people did, but like it says in the end of the book, if it weren't for Strictly, the reptile hobby wouldn't have some of its keystone species that we think of as common today. Great book.
What do You think about The Lizard King: The True Crimes And Passions Of The World's Greatest Reptile Smugglers (2008)?
Some pictures would have been nice. Alternatively, keep Wikipedia or Google Image Search nearby.
—Ciara16
A disturbing look at illegal trade in wildlife.
—jdwhittekiend
