The Snake Charmer

"Absolutely riveting. This sensitive, fascinating exploration of a scientist's quest for knowledge deepens with relentless suspense into a classic tale of a man's fight for survival in the wilderness." --Linda Greenlaw, author of The Hungry Ocean "Absorbing, stylishly written account of the life and career of a celebrated young herpetologist . . . an exquisitely crafted book that will grab even those who have no interest in snakes." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A dramatic and moving story, told by an author who clearly understands that his subject is not simply about a man's cruel and ironic death but also about his life, his spirit, and his dreams." --Booklist "This book will astonish and delight anyone who believes that the great age of biological collecting is over." --Anne Fadiman, author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down In the fall of 2001, deep in the jungle of Burma, a team of scientists searches for rare snakes. They are led by Dr. Joe Slowinski, at 38 already one of the most brilliant biologists of our time. It is the most ambitious scientific expedition ever mounted into this remote region, brought to a dramatic halt by the bite of the many-banded krait, the deadliest serpent in Asia. Thus begins one of the most remarkable wilderness rescue attempts of modern times. In The Snake Charmer, renowned journalist and author Jamie James captures the life and death of the fascinating and charismatic Joe Slowinski--a man whose career was fast and exciting, and whose tragic final expedition became a pulse-pounding struggle between man and nature.

Note that there is a companion website for this book and it can be seen at: http://secretsofthesnakecharmer.blogspot.com/ Humans and snakes have an intimate and ancient relationship that often revolves around either love or hate. Snakes can be seen as gods, spiritual messengers, symbols of fertility, and guardians of resources in virtually all cultures. But to those that fear them, snakes are seen as venomous creatures that cannot be trusted. In Secrets of the Snake Charmer, John Murphy, a research associate of the Division of Amphibians and Reptiles in the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, provides an in-depth, twenty-first century look at snakes utilizing the published research of other herpetologists as well as his own personal experiences and speculations. Murphy covers a wide range of topics such as the adaptability of snakes, the ways in which evolution has tinkered with snakes during the last 160 million years, and the impact snakes have on the ecological communities they live in. While sharing ideas about the origin of snakes, rattlesnake rattles, and spitting in cobras, Murphy presents an innovative portrayal of snakes that proves they co-evolve with their prey, predators, and parasites in order to fulfill a significant and novel role in the web of life.

“‘Utthisht Bharat,’ he said, and in that magical moment I felt that the river, the trees, and the sky…were saying, ‘Utthisht Bharat.’ I got up, never to look back or have doubts again.” Just as the Bharata of yore responded to the Lord’s call to rise up from dejection, to fulfill his glorious destiny, this modern day Bharat too rises up from the pits of despair and defeat, to set out steadily on his appointed path of duty. Bharat, an IITian, with a management degree from IIM, had a ‘successful’ innings in the corporate world, with overseas postings too. Having acquired a substantial bank balance, he has the urge to set up a business in rural India, which will bring greater profits to the farmers. Predictably, he is ruthlessly pushed out, and systematically ruined by the vested interests that feel threatened. Deep in despair, he gets help from a most unexpected quarter, a poor tribal snake charmer, known as Nagbaba… A gripping tale of how he comes out from the mires of debt and ruin, to rise up again, wiser but undeterred from his chosen path… A story of modern India, the two Indias of the cities and the villages… the urban, educated, elite youth with modern knowledge from science and technology, and the illiterate people of the forests, who have the wealth of wisdom passed down from centuries… the development of cities, which takes place at the cost of the proliferation of slums… the two different cultures that coexist in mutual wariness and mistrust…

Some Lifetimes Seem To Hinge On A Single Day, And For Sonalal, Today Was That Day. So Begins The Snake Charmer, The Unforgettable Novel Of Sonalal, A Luckless Middle-Aged Man Making A Living With His Been Pipe And His Beloved Cobra, Raju. Despite His Great Skills, Sonalal S Drinking And Womanizing Seem To Have Marked Him For A Life Of Insignificance. Then One Remarkable Afternoon He Produces Music So Beautiful He Is Certain The Gods Must Be Listening. But In A Shocking Act Of Defiance, Raju Bites His Master, And The Consequences Of This Terrible Moment Will Change Sonalal S Life Forever. The Snake Charmer Traces Sonalal S Odyssey Through Unexpected Celebrity And The Fickleness Of Fortune, And Follows Him On His Sometimes Humorous Quest For Answers To The Unanswerable Questions Of Love, Life, And Art.

Quilty as Charged is not a history or how-to-guide; it is a collection of many small stories, including Gillespie's, stitched together in the spirit of quilting, separate scraps made into a cohesive cloth.

Will Randall travels with a purpose, as well as an outrageous sense of fortune. In INDIAN SUMMER he found himself, by chance, having the extraordinary experience of helping slum schoolchildren put on a play to help save their school. In Botswana he was taken up by a headmaster to teach a class of six year olds at The River of Life school. They are football crazy and one of Will's jobs is to take them to play neighbouring (sometimes as much as 100 miles away) schools. Camping en-route or staying in farms and rural villages, often travelling by foot or dug-out punts, thousands of antelope, elephant, buffalo and zebra follow their progress. The sound of lions, leopards and hyenas become the soundtrack of their dreams. Against all the odds they find themselves preparing for the Grand Final of the season - the titanic clash with arch rivals, Victoria Falls Primary school. Both an endearing personal story and a travel book about a little-known but highly successful country, BOTSWANA TIME will win new fans for both Will Randall and the extraordinary country of Botswana.

The Snake Charmer narrates the poignant and passionate story of two brothers in Afghanistan, during the time of the Russian invasion. The elder, a writer and poet, is a modernist, who joins the Communist movement. The younger, a traditionalist, adheres to Islamic religious beliefs. The conflict between their values threatens to tear asunder their family ties and loyalties. Set against a backdrop of violence and war between foreign powers, acid-throwing against women who adopt Western dress; brutality and rape in police prisons; and political revenge under the Communist regime, the brothers live to see their lives dramatically changed and yet manage to retain their deep love for each other. This deeply moving story, told with uplifting humour, sears into our minds the tragedies that haunt present-day Afghanistan - the importance of Islam as a controlling force; the upheaval and destruction caused by the Russian and American wars; the rise of the Taliban and global terrorism. Bashir Sakhawarz's writing captures the political and philosophic lyricism of the revered Afghan mystic poet, Rumi. It is the story of a society little known - passionate and bold, beautiful and erotic, courageous and daring, richly human and deeply tragic.

The Good Girls: Dr. Gladys Loder. Brown hair, brown eyes, skinny, tall-as ordinary as they come. Liberty Wainwright. An extraterrestrial archaeologist who lives by the rules. Chastity Tilson. Privileged, beautiful, fiercely independent. The Bad Boys: Jaz Scavenge. Red hair so dark it's almost purple, eyes a lighter shade-cherry cough drop red, to be exact. Brady St. James. Ebony hair, cobalt eyes-a man called the Saint, though he is anything but. Darian "Dare the Devil" Acer. Deeply tanned, dark of hair and eye-the ultimate in masculine perfection. Charming the Snake: Good girls, bad boys, sinners and saints-it takes a special passion to charm the snake. Gladys and Jaz, Libby and Brady, Chassy and Dare. Three clashing couples, three laugh-out-loud lusty futuristic erotic romances from: New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author MaryJanice Davidson and introducing Camille Anthony and Melissa Schroeder.