The Book of Barely Imagined Beings: A 21st Century Bestiary Hardcover – April 10, 2013

Most important point is: Read This Book. This is one of the finest works by any author who has an understanding of what humanity is doing to destroy the eco-system. The title is slightly misleading. This is fine work of philosophy and commentary on how humans fit into all life on earth. I have read many of the works that the author (Caspar Henderson) quotes, but I have been negligent in reading any of his writings. Don't make the same mistake. This is one of the finest and most interesting look at animals and the environment. It gives a boost to the works of the other naturalists such as David Attenborough and Lucy Cooke as well as such scientists Richard Dawkins and a long list of others. Bravo!!

I heard about this Bestiary book on a NPR show that interviewed Caspar Henderson and discussed the nature of Bestiaries historically as well as why Mr. henderson had chosen these few as the principle "characters" of his new book. What captured my attention and interest in the book was that under "C" was the Crown of Thorns Starfish, a unique sea creature found in mopst of the oceans of the world and that was purportedly being singled out for the devastation of the Great Barrier and other reefs around the world.In fact, in 1976, I was a part of a research project sponsored by NAUI, Scripps Institute of Oceanography at UC San Diego, and led by Dr. Martin Chan of Cabrillo College whose purpose was to plot the northern intrusion of the Crown of Thorns Starfish into the Sea of Cortez from San Felipe, Baja, Mex to La Paz, Baja, Mex. Along the way, we photographically documented and recorded the Crown of Thorns Starfish, it's populations along the southern route, marine conditions, and food sources that we found the starfish consuming. We found no evidence of the Crown of Thorns in the norther part of the research path where known corals flourish. we did see the starfish on the southern part of the research trek and most of them were feeding on octo-coral sea fans as opposed to true corals. At that time, it was thought that the Crown of Thorns only consumed true corals.It was a marvelous time spent diving 3 to 4 times daily over the course of the week, an eye opener to the first research diving expedition that I had ever been on, and a great source of underwater photography not only for he Crown of Thorns; but, other species that thrive in the Sea of Cortez and many different latitudes.Seeing the Crown of Thorns given the recognition in Caspar Henderson's "The Book of Barely Imagined Beings: A 21st Century Bestiary" was a very special treat given my experience. Don't be fooled into thinking; however, hat this is the only interesting creature in the book, because the whole book is wonderful, especially due to historical bestiary documents and our accounts of various inhabitants of this Earth besides ourselves. Just a wonderful hint at the variety and strangeness of life on Earth. Are there any shortcomings of the book? Of course, as it only is he beginning of a modern day book of bestiary and I hope that Mr. Henderson, ads additional books in the future!

Great to keep around as a light read you can put down and pick up again!

If you're looking for a bestiary-type book, or something to learn zoology, keep looking.This book contains FAR more rants and modern political preaching than actual zoological information or even neat animal facts. I don't need to be told about the silliness of creationists, I'm already well aware of that. Forcing it into a bestiary is just off-topic, and weird.

The only complaint I have is that the print is very small in this book. I don't know if there is a larger print edition available? It is a little hard to read for older eyes. But so far, it is a well written and very interesting book; well worth the read!

I've given 5 copies of this book to friends for Christmas. I look the way it takes my mind down roads less traveled, many never traveled. Something to stimulate thoughts when you grow tired of the 24/7 news cycle. If you like to think, this one could be for you.

As long as Henderson sticks to biology, it's pretty cool. Too frequently, though, he takes a trite metaphor from his subject matter and uses it as a springboard for PC preachiness. In several chapters, a brief opening of snazzy zoological trivia supports six or seven pages of pop sociology, with lots of pro-atheism nudges, lots of not-so-subtle digs at people not of his political persuasion. A little of this would go a long way, but it comes up in chapter after chapter, and gets tiresome quickly. I suppose the book functions like most bestiaries, though: less as "natural philosophy" than as a record of a peculiar, popular, not very accurate, and quickly outdated view of the world.

This is a book about real beasts--from the earliest life on this planet that we know about to the beings around today. Many of the beings described are astonishing and little known (for example deep-sea ones) and many beings we think we know about are proven to be quite astonishing as well. Humans get a good long entry that is full of insights.It's all very entertaining; Henderson is a fine, idiosyncratic writer and the kind of scientist you'd love to have a long chat with--broadly curious and articulate. This is not a systematic work, though it's alphabetically arranged, but rather a collection of biological curiosities and digressions. I'm loving every page.

The book is great, but I was shocked to see that Golbanou Moghaddas, who has made the wonderful illustrations that are also so important to the design of the book, has almost not been mentioned. She could well have been, in smaller types, on the title page. I eventually found who the illustrator was but almost needed a magnifying glass to find her name. The editors at Granta, and especially Caspar Henderson, should be ashamed of themselves. It reflects how authors and their publishers regard illustrators.

This is a marvellous book, imaginatively designed, full of interesting information, and spoiled by carelessness in production. Typos abound, and one can only assume that nobody literate was ever asked to proofread it. Shame on the publishers, Granta Books, though they may just have taken it as was from the American publishers, The University of Chicago Press. The book is a bestiary, which looks at the weird and the wonderful, from the Axolotl to the Zebrafish. Fascinating, and a pity the publishers didn't think it was worth getting it right.

My grandson aged four is mad keen on the Octonauts - so was delighted to see that this book included octopus, puffer fish and whale amongst many others. The conceit is such a clever one, leading from particular creatures in all directions; it is laid out beautifully and is a joy to read whether section by section or over a longer stretch. It has that nice old-fashioned sense of being a book to handle and treasure over the years. Friederike Huber, the text designer, deserves great credit too, as does Michael Salu, the designer. Certainly the most interesting and best produced book I have read this year. And at £11.25 for over 400 pages it must be a bargain too! The website [...].com will give you a good idea of the book and contains additional material to add to the package.

I love this book.I find it an absolute joy to end the day by opening up Barely Imagined Beings to read a few pages before sleep and have my mind opened to the incredible wonder of the world. I sit in bed every few nights and absorb the un-shouty and profound ponderings that Caspar brings, that follow so easily from his poetic descriptions of the weird and wonderful ways that life finds ways to be. Dolphins can see through you, in 3D? The chicken is the nearest living relative to the Tyrannosaurus Rex? The eye evolved in all those different ways? (I fail to do justice relying on my memory from my desk at work)This is one of the most fun to read and thought-provoking books I've ever read. And one of the most philosophically rich.If you've a brain, can read, and have any capacity for awe and wonder, I can barely imagine that you won't be delighted by this :)

This is a well produced book with nice monochrome line images and a neat way of indexing 'footnotes' that actually appear alongside the text. It is a relaxed read, the author takes you on some pleasant 'rambles' around the main topic of each chapter.I have a few chapters to go yet, and will probably delve in again for a re-read after a few months have passed.