Human Predator

When we think of serial killing, we tend to think of it as a perversion of contemporary society. The Human Predator makes an eye-opening case for the existence of serial killers throughout time—the motives and methods, the societies that spawned them, and the historical periods in which they lived . . . and killed. From Ancient Rome and the Dark Ages to the open roads of America, from the exploits of French religious zealot Gilles de Rais to such high-profile monsters as Jeffrey Dahmer and Aileen Wuornos, Katherine Ramsland offers a complete chronological record of the serial-killer phenomenon—and the parallel development of psychology, forensic science, and FBI profiling in the serial killer’s evolving manifestation throughout human history. INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS

A pioneering and groundbreaking work of narrative nonfiction that offers a dramatic new perspective on the history of humankind, showing how through millennia, the mosquito has been the single most powerful force in determining humanity’s fate Why was gin and tonic the cocktail of choice for British colonists in India and Africa? What does Starbucks have to thank for its global domination? What has protected the lives of popes for millennia? Why did Scotland surrender its sovereignty to England? What was George Washington's secret weapon during the American Revolution? The answer to all these questions, and many more, is the mosquito. Across our planet since the dawn of humankind, this nefarious pest, roughly the size and weight of a grape seed, has been at the frontlines of history as the grim reaper, the harvester of human populations, and the ultimate agent of historical change. As the mosquito transformed the landscapes of civilization, humans were unwittingly required to respond to its piercing impact and universal projection of power. The mosquito has determined the fates of empires and nations, razed and crippled economies, and decided the outcome of pivotal wars, killing nearly half of humanity along the way. She (only females bite) has dispatched an estimated 52 billion people from a total of 108 billion throughout our relatively brief existence. As the greatest purveyor of extermination we have ever known, she has played a greater role in shaping our human story than any other living thing with which we share our global village. Imagine for a moment a world without deadly mosquitoes, or any mosquitoes, for that matter? Our history and the world we know, or think we know, would be completely unrecognizable. Driven by surprising insights and fast-paced storytelling, The Mosquito is the extraordinary untold story of the mosquito’s reign through human history and her indelible impact on our modern world order.

"From Prey to Predator: An Evolutionary Tale of Hunting, Warfare, and Human Survival" is a riveting journey through time that marries anthropology, history, and survival science in a fresh and engaging way. Discover how the human species transformed from vulnerable prey into dominant predators, and explore the striking parallels between hunting and warfare as survival strategies. This captivating narrative unveils the vital role of preparedness in human survival, demonstrating why hope alone is not a survival strategy. Drawing on the rich tapestry of our ancestral past, this book explores the timeless cycle of life and death, revealing how our place within this cycle has shaped our strategies for survival. Perfect for history enthusiasts, survivalists, and anyone interested in human evolution, this book presents a thought-provoking examination of humanity's instinct for survival. Discover why physical fitness and mental toughness were – and remain – crucial for survival, and how community, adaptability, and innovation have played their parts in our survival story. "From Prey to Predator" takes you on a thrilling journey from our humble origins to our place in the modern world, exploring how lessons from our past can guide our future. As we navigate the complexities of the 21st century, this book serves as a timely reminder of the resilience, ingenuity, and survival instinct that pulses through our veins. Dive into this intriguing exploration of human survival and uncover the story of humanity's relentless drive to survive and thrive.

Man the Hunted argues that primates, including the earliest members of the human family, have evolved as the prey of any number of predators, including wild cats and dogs, hyenas, snakes, crocodiles, and even birds. The authors' studies of predators on monkeys and apes are supplemented here with the observations of naturalists in the field and revealing interpretations of the fossil record. Eyewitness accounts of the 'man the hunted' drama being played out even now give vivid evidence of its prehistoric significance. This provocative view of human evolution suggests that countless adaptations that have allowed our species to survive (from larger brains to speech), stem from a considerably more vulnerable position on the food chain than we might like to imagine. The myth of early humans as fearless hunters dominating the earth obscures our origins as just one of many species that had to be cautious, depend on other group members, communicate danger, and come to terms with being merely one cog in the complex cycle of life.

From the Foreword: "Predator-prey interactions are among the most significant of all organism-organism interactions....It will only be by compiling and evaluating data on predator-prey relations as they are recorded in the fossil record that we can hope to tease apart their role in the tangled web of evolutionary interaction over time. This volume, compiled by a group of expert specialists on the evidence of predator-prey interactions in the fossil record, is a pioneering effort to collate the information now accumulating in this important field. It will be a standard reference on which future study of one of the central dynamics of ecology as seen in the fossil record will be built." (Richard K. Bambach, Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech, Associate of the Botanical Museum, Harvard University)

The relationship between humans and mountain lions has always been uneasy. A century ago, mountain lions were vilified as a threat to livestock and hunted to the verge of extinction. In recent years, this keystone predator has made a remarkable comeback, but today humans and mountain lions appear destined for a collision course. Its recovery has led to an unexpected conundrum: Do more mountain lions mean they’re a threat to humans and domestic animals? Or, are mountain lions still in need of our help and protection as their habitat dwindles and they’re forced into the edges and crevices of communities to survive? Mountain lion biologist and expert Mark Elbroch welcomes these tough questions. He dismisses long-held myths about mountain lions and uses groundbreaking science to uncover important new information about their social habits. Elbroch argues that humans and mountain lions can peacefully coexist in close proximity if we ignore uninformed hype and instead arm ourselves with knowledge and common sense. He walks us through the realities of human safety in the presence of mountain lions, livestock safety, competition with hunters for deer and elk, and threats to rare species, dispelling the paranoia with facts and logic. In the last few chapters, he touches on human impacts on mountain lions and the need for a sensible management strategy. The result, he argues, is a win-win for humans, mountain lions, and the ecosystems that depend on keystone predators to keep them in healthy balance. The Cougar Conundrum delivers a clear-eyed assessment of a modern wildlife challenge, offering practical advice for wildlife managers, conservationists, hunters, and those in the wildland-urban interface who share their habitat with large predators.

Carnivorous animals are more humane than humans. They only kill in order to eat. Humans also kill animals to eat, but very often they kill for fun and pleasure, and for the trophy. They like to display in their living rooms the head of a deer that they have shot, or they sell for profit the horns of a rhinoceros for its supposed sexual advantages, or the skin of a tiger to be used as a floor mat. The defenseless beast has been shot out in the open, with the most up-to-date sophisticated weapon while the shooter is hiding safely behind a large rock, and imagining himself as a hero. He is proud of his cowardly attack in putting to death an innocent and unprotected animal, who is probably more moral than its assassin. Unfortunately, some people treat their fellow humans in the same way. Present-day human predators have enslaved their brethren, entrapped them in a caste system, stolen their land, invaded their countries, conquered and colonized their people, and killed them. The predator is constantly on the war path. In these pages we will discuss man’s inhumanity to man.