Fox (Animal)

Informative and enjoyable!

This was a very fun book. Reaktion books has made a whole series of these books, each exploring a different animal. This was the first book I read in the series. The intention of the series is not so much to explore the animal itself, but all the crazy things the human mind has asserted on to the animal. The myths and histories presented here are fascinating, and I now have the desire to seek out and read the myths and stories themselves in depth. The only problem I see with the book (and maybe this is symptomatic of the series) is that it's mostly about HUMAN behavior, not fox behavior. I know these are cultural histories, but I feel it would be appropriate to discuss the behavior of the fox more so we could more appreciate the fox itself. I think it would provide a better balance. But I have to give the book credit, books on foxes are rare, and I am glad a cultural history was published.

It was Wallen's fine book on foxes that introduced me to Reaktion's excellent Animal series, and I've been a huge fan ever since. This is definitely my favourite volume in the series. Well written, thoughtfully considered, and insightful. His writing style is engaging and illuminating, and he never talks down to readers--he's a careful and astute scholar, an accessible writer, and an impressive observer of both the natural world and human interactions with it. Like all books in the series, it takes up natural as well as cultural history, and Wallen manages the balance with exceptional skill. You'll never look at foxes the same way again! In fact, I was inspired to try my own hand at a volume in the series as a result of Wallen's contribution, so I'm particularly grateful for the inspiration of *Fox*.Some readers have been a bit put off by a couple of the graphic photos (even though there are over 100 images in the book), but I think it's a shame to dismiss this fine and engaging study for those reasons. Yes, there are two gruesome images, but the reality is that in addition to inspiring much beautiful art and spiritual beliefs, foxes also suffer terrible abuse at the hands of humans--that's part of the context that Wallen writes about. We can't understand foxes or their symbolism without also understanding the terrible price they pay for being so fascinating to humans. I get squeamish at these images, too, but they represent a powerful truth, and we owe it to the animal and to ourselves to face these things directly.A well-informed and well-written book that avoids Disney-esque simplicity and takes up the full complexity of these marvellous animals. Highly recommended!

I'm not squeamish so I didn't mind any of the photos, which in my opinion aren't horrifying or anything at all.I bought this for my Animal Studies course at EKU for a compare/contrast essay. I bout this with HYENA, which was pretty good. All in all I got an A so I guess that's what matters.

An interesting book with an in-depth look at the Fox.

This book began interestingly enough, and has some good information on the natural history of a few fox species, but it then reads like a paper written for a literature course. A sizable portion of the book makes (I feel, tenuous) extrapolations on how the fox is a symbol of sexuality in human culture. That, and the unsettlingly repeated use of terms like 'bourgeois' and 'chthonic', make this reading eerily reminiscent of a college English class, and, appropriately, the author colors each topic with his personal biases, despite a brief disclaimer denying this. I prefer a more scientifically-grounded study of animals and their history, and this book seems to expand far too greatly and tenuously for my tastes on a relative paucity of good data.

Came faster than expected. Very happy with my purchase

Very helpful

For fans of the fox, this is both a good book and a sad book in equal measure. Much of it looks in to the human psyche and how we have demonised the fox with negative 'human' attributes, such as deceit and cunning. There are some shocking pictures of cruelty and exploitation. We call ourselves a nation of animal lovers, but sadly, as fox hunting (and other practises) show, this isn't the case. How can we tell our children that cruelty to animals is wrong, but that for the grown men and women in red coats its perfectly acceptable. Lets hope this 'sport' is condemned to the history books forever, like many of our so called 'traditions' that are an embarrassment. Another great book on foxes, which concentrates more on fox behaviour than human, is Running with the fox. This is a good book that tells us about foxy myths and folk tales, but one that deals with some uncomfortable truths about our own species, rather than fox behaviour. Read the book, but if you want to know the 'real' fox, get out there and study this fascinating animal.

A novel way to approach the subject and very illuminating. God photographs too

great