Generally, the idea of a race is to get to the finish line, not to see how far you can go beyond it.

The book opens with the observation that vervet monkeys, and some other primates, seem to have three very special, ingrained fears: they instinctively recognize, and have special calls to warn of, big cats (leopards), big birds (eagles), and snakes.

What happens if you take those three types of creatures and combine them? Mixing all the parts together produces a creature very like a dragon. Author David E. Jones observes that most human societies have folklore about a dragon-like creature, and suggests that it arose when the three great primate fears -- leopards, eagles, and snakes -- were simplified down into one super-threat. Which, rather than try to call a leo-eagle-snake, we call a dragon.

This is a very clever suggestion, but it's only a suggestion. It is not a verified fact. And yet, Jones, having spent a few dozen pages making this argument, then treats it as certain. No attempts to test the hypothesis, no attempts to see if it is predictive. He just takes it and runs.

The first couple of chapters, in which Jones presented his hypothesis, I found fascinating. The rest I found -- effectively devoid of content. It was a pain to read. The basic idea is worth further exploration. But this book is not the one to do it. ( )

Cloth Book Condition: VG . Dust Jacket Condition: VG . First Edition. 15cmx22cm.