Animal-Wise: The Spirit Language and Signs of Nature
by Ted Andrews

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Book Reviews of Animal-Wise: The Spirit Language and Signs of Nature

Book Review: O.K. if you live in Africa or Australia -- but not for USA
Summary: 2 Stars

I read Natalie Post's review: "The book comprehensively details the animal kingdoms with an extensive dictionary that provides key qualities and characteristics of particular animals, the mythology and history surrounding them, and questions to ask when they are encountered during the course of a day." That, together with the 5-star rating, and I thought, "Wow! I'll buy it!"

I was hoping for a waking-hours animal reference book along the lines of Barbara Condron's "The Dreamer's Dictionary" that covers dream-time images.

And Animal-Wise would come close to that kind of reference book if only it focused on common animals. I was hoping to at least be able to check out things like squirrels (for which there is a very good small reference but not a full listing), deer, blue jays, robins, cardinals, raccoons, skunks, et. al.

Instead, it lists animals that might be part of your animal totem -- usually not one of the animals you come across in your daily life, unless you're a zoo-keeper or you live in the jungles of Africa or in the Outback of Australia.

The list of mammals covered is: aardvark, apes & monkeys, arctic fox, baboons, beluga, boar, camel, capybara, caribou, cheetah, chimpanzee, chipmunk (Well, there's one I see once in a while anyway!), dingo, eland, ferret, gazelle, gibbon, gorilla, guinea pig, hedgehog, hippopotamus, humpback whale, hyena, impala, jackal, jaguar, kangaroo, koala, lemur, llama, mole, musk ox, muskrat, orangutan, panda, polar bear, shrew, Siberian tiger, wallaby, walrus, wolverine and zebra. Very disappointing!

The list of birds covered is: albatross, bittern, black vulture, bluebird, bobwhite, burrowing owl, caracara, cockatoo, condor, conures, cormorant, emu, flamingo, goshawk, great blue heron, grebe, gyrfalcon, harrier hawk, harris hawk, ibis, junco, killdeer, kite, lark, long-eared owl, macaw, merlin, nighthawk, osprey, parakeet, puffin, sandhill crane, sapsucker, secretary bird, sharp-shinned hawk, shorteared owl, tufted titmous, and white crane. Again, very disappointing -- though a bit more commonly-seen than the mammals Andrews chose to cover.

On the other hand, his "Dictionary of Insects and Arachnids" is much more useful. He covers the following insects and arachnids: black and yellow argiope, black widow spider, brown spider, caterpillar, centipede and millipede, cicada, cockroach, cricket, daddy longlegs, earthworm, firefly, flea, fly, jumping spider, ladybug, leech, mosquito, moth, orb-weaver spiders, scorpion, silkworm moth, slug, snail, stick bug (walkingstick), tarantula, tick, wasp, water spider, wolf spider, and woolly caterpillar.

Andrews also has sections on reptiles & amphibians and sea life.

I'm posting this so that people know what they're buying, as I felt the current descriptions and reviews misrepresent it.

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