What do you think?
Rate this book
Slither: How Nature’s Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World
A spellbinding scientific and cultural study of snakes, the fascination and fear they inspire, and how surprising new science is indelibly changing our perception of these stunning and frightening creatures.
For millennia, depictions of snakes as alternatively beautiful and menacing creatures have appeared in religious texts, mythology, poetry, and beyond. From the foundational deities of ancient Egypt to the reactions of squeamish schoolchildren today, it is a historically commonplace belief that snakes are devious, dangerous, and even evil. But where there is hatred and fear, there is also fascination and reverence. How is it that creatures so despised and sinister, so foreign of movement and ostensibly devoid of sociality and emotion, have fired the imaginations of poets, prophets, and painters across time and cultures?
In SLITHER, science writer Stephen S. Hall presents a naturalistic, cultural, ecological, and scientific meditation on these loathed yet magnetic creatures. In each chapter, he explores a biological aspect of The Snake, such as their cold blooded metabolism and venomous nature, alongside their mythology, artistic depictions, and cultural veneration. In doing so, he explores not only what neurologically triggers our wary fascination with these limbless creatures, but also how the current generation of snake scientists is using cutting-edge technologies to discover new truths about these evolutionarily ancient creatures—truths that may ultimately affect and enhance human health.
For millennia, depictions of snakes as alternatively beautiful and menacing creatures have appeared in religious texts, mythology, poetry, and beyond. From the foundational deities of ancient Egypt to the reactions of squeamish schoolchildren today, it is a historically commonplace belief that snakes are devious, dangerous, and even evil. But where there is hatred and fear, there is also fascination and reverence. How is it that creatures so despised and sinister, so foreign of movement and ostensibly devoid of sociality and emotion, have fired the imaginations of poets, prophets, and painters across time and cultures?
In SLITHER, science writer Stephen S. Hall presents a naturalistic, cultural, ecological, and scientific meditation on these loathed yet magnetic creatures. In each chapter, he explores a biological aspect of The Snake, such as their cold blooded metabolism and venomous nature, alongside their mythology, artistic depictions, and cultural veneration. In doing so, he explores not only what neurologically triggers our wary fascination with these limbless creatures, but also how the current generation of snake scientists is using cutting-edge technologies to discover new truths about these evolutionarily ancient creatures—truths that may ultimately affect and enhance human health.
416 pages, Hardcover
Published April 22, 2025
97 people are currently reading
6593 people want to read
About the author
Stephen S. Hall
10 books29 followersFor nearly three decades, Stephen S. Hall has written about the intersection of science and society in books, magazine articles, and essays. He is the author, most recently, of Wisdom: From Philosophy to Neuroscience (2010), which grew out of a 2007 cover article in The New York Times Magazine.
His previous books include Size Matters: How Height Affects the Health, Happiness, and Success of Boys—and the Men They Become (2006), Merchants of Immortality: Chasing the Dream of Human Life Extension (2003), A Commotion in the Blood: Life, Death, and the Immune System (1997), Mapping the Next Millennium: How Computer-Driven Cartography Is Revolutionizing the Face of Science (1992), and Invisible Frontiers: The Race to Synthesize a Human Gene (1987). Most titles were acknowledged as a “Notable Book of the Year” by the New York Times Book Review.
Hall has received numerous awards, including the “Science in Society Award” in 2004 for book writing from the National Association of Science Writers for Merchants of Immortality, which was also a finalist for a Los Angeles Times Book Award, and the William B. Coley Award in 1998 from the Cancer Research Institute for A Commotion in the Blood. His work has also been widely anthologized, including in Best American Science Writing (2000, 2001, 2008, 2009), A Literary Companion to Science (1990), and The Beholder’s Eye (2005).
Between 1997 and 2000, Hall served as an editor of the New York Times Magazine as well as a Contributing Writer, and has published numerous cover stories for the Magazine. In addition to the New York Times, his journalism has appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, National Geographic, New York, Science, The New Yorker, Technology Review, Scientific American, Discover, Smithsonian, and many other national publications. His essays and criticism have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Orion, and the Hastings Center Report.
In addition to writing, Hall teaches science journalism and explanatory journalism at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, and also conducts writing workshops for scientists-in-training at New York University’s Carter Institute of Journalism. His many public appearances include a keynote address at the Keystone Symposium, grand rounds at university medical centers, lectures at the Hastings Center, and readings that have been featured on “Book TV.”
Hall graduated as an honors student in English literature from Beloit College in 1973, and lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and two children.
His previous books include Size Matters: How Height Affects the Health, Happiness, and Success of Boys—and the Men They Become (2006), Merchants of Immortality: Chasing the Dream of Human Life Extension (2003), A Commotion in the Blood: Life, Death, and the Immune System (1997), Mapping the Next Millennium: How Computer-Driven Cartography Is Revolutionizing the Face of Science (1992), and Invisible Frontiers: The Race to Synthesize a Human Gene (1987). Most titles were acknowledged as a “Notable Book of the Year” by the New York Times Book Review.
Hall has received numerous awards, including the “Science in Society Award” in 2004 for book writing from the National Association of Science Writers for Merchants of Immortality, which was also a finalist for a Los Angeles Times Book Award, and the William B. Coley Award in 1998 from the Cancer Research Institute for A Commotion in the Blood. His work has also been widely anthologized, including in Best American Science Writing (2000, 2001, 2008, 2009), A Literary Companion to Science (1990), and The Beholder’s Eye (2005).
Between 1997 and 2000, Hall served as an editor of the New York Times Magazine as well as a Contributing Writer, and has published numerous cover stories for the Magazine. In addition to the New York Times, his journalism has appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, National Geographic, New York, Science, The New Yorker, Technology Review, Scientific American, Discover, Smithsonian, and many other national publications. His essays and criticism have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Orion, and the Hastings Center Report.
In addition to writing, Hall teaches science journalism and explanatory journalism at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, and also conducts writing workshops for scientists-in-training at New York University’s Carter Institute of Journalism. His many public appearances include a keynote address at the Keystone Symposium, grand rounds at university medical centers, lectures at the Hastings Center, and readings that have been featured on “Book TV.”
Hall graduated as an honors student in English literature from Beloit College in 1973, and lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and two children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
August 13, 2025
یه کتاب علمی باید فارغ از جهت گیری باشه. مخصوصاً جهت گیریهای تاریخمصرفدارِ سیاسی. متاسفانه آقای هال به طرز تَورمزایی در پی ارتباط دادن مسائل علمی به دیدگاههای سیاسی-اجتماعی خودشه و این باعث شده از مجموع ۴۰۰ صفحه کتاب بیشتر از ۲۵۰ صفحه به مسائل جانبی اختصاص داده بشه.
این می تونست قابل تحمل باشه اگه قلم ایشون گیرا و نثرشون دلنشین. بارها و بارها ایشون از شخصیتهای بسیار کاریزماتیک یا رویدادهای بیاندازه هیجانانگیز علمی که پتانسیل تبدیل شدن به یه داستانگویی ژورنالیستی محشرو داشتن، با یه سرخمکردن کوتاه و سلام سرسری عبور میکنه و هر بار حسرت میخوردم که چرا کسی مثل اِد یونگ به این موضوع جذاب نپرداخته.
یه مشکل دیگهی تفکر آقای هال مربوط میشه به مسیری که ایشون انتخاب کرده برای ترومازُدایی از مارها در مخاطبش؛ ایشون تلاش میکنه با تاباندن صفات "پسندیده"ی انسانی به مارها، اونا رُ موجه جلوه بده. اینجا دو تا مشکل پیش میاد:
۱- مارها احتیاجی به موجه بودن ندارن. هیچ موجود زندهای نداره. طبیعت هست و برای بودنش گناهی نکرده.
۲- چرا باید ویژگیهای مورد پسند ما انسانها مثل مِهر مادری به حیوانات دیگه که استراتژیهای زیستی متفاوتی دارن، قِداست بده؟
لازمه بدونید جاهایی که از مطالعات علمی یاد میشد یا مشاهدات مستقیم نویسنده اومده بود، کم و بیش قابل تحمل بود. اما اغلب لذت من از کتاب مربوط میشد به تموم شدن اون چپتر خاص و گردش خودم توی سایتهای مختلف تا اطلاعات مختصر و بی روح کتابو بیشتر بررسی کنم و از دنیای این خزندههای مظلومواقع شده بیشتر مطلع بشم.
اشکال دیگه کتاب، عدم وجود تصاویر بود که برای یه کتاب مثل این و درک بهتر مخاطب از مطالب، واجبه.
واقعا متاسفم که این کتاب نوشته شده چون بازار کتاب فعلا دیکته میکنه راه برای کتابهای بهتر که به مارها بپردازن تا مدت زیادی بسته بشه و این فرصتسوزی قابل بخشش نیست.
راستی! مثل هر کتاب علمی دیگهای اینجا هم خالی از شاهکارهای هموطن ایرانی نبود. مادر ایرانی، فرزند خودش که یه محقق بلندپایه ست رُ جلو کلی پروفسر دیگه دعوا میکنه که چرا بیاجازه پاشد رفته روی مارها تحقیق کنه.
از این کتاب و تحقیقاتی که کردم کُلی نکات باحال دارم که اگه دوست داشتید خصوصی پیام بدید و بگید تا براتون ازشون بنویسم. نمی خوام اینجا رُ زیادی شلوغ کنم؛ این کتاب ارزش نقل قول نداره.
این می تونست قابل تحمل باشه اگه قلم ایشون گیرا و نثرشون دلنشین. بارها و بارها ایشون از شخصیتهای بسیار کاریزماتیک یا رویدادهای بیاندازه هیجانانگیز علمی که پتانسیل تبدیل شدن به یه داستانگویی ژورنالیستی محشرو داشتن، با یه سرخمکردن کوتاه و سلام سرسری عبور میکنه و هر بار حسرت میخوردم که چرا کسی مثل اِد یونگ به این موضوع جذاب نپرداخته.
یه مشکل دیگهی تفکر آقای هال مربوط میشه به مسیری که ایشون انتخاب کرده برای ترومازُدایی از مارها در مخاطبش؛ ایشون تلاش میکنه با تاباندن صفات "پسندیده"ی انسانی به مارها، اونا رُ موجه جلوه بده. اینجا دو تا مشکل پیش میاد:
۱- مارها احتیاجی به موجه بودن ندارن. هیچ موجود زندهای نداره. طبیعت هست و برای بودنش گناهی نکرده.
۲- چرا باید ویژگیهای مورد پسند ما انسانها مثل مِهر مادری به حیوانات دیگه که استراتژیهای زیستی متفاوتی دارن، قِداست بده؟
لازمه بدونید جاهایی که از مطالعات علمی یاد میشد یا مشاهدات مستقیم نویسنده اومده بود، کم و بیش قابل تحمل بود. اما اغلب لذت من از کتاب مربوط میشد به تموم شدن اون چپتر خاص و گردش خودم توی سایتهای مختلف تا اطلاعات مختصر و بی روح کتابو بیشتر بررسی کنم و از دنیای این خزندههای مظلومواقع شده بیشتر مطلع بشم.
اشکال دیگه کتاب، عدم وجود تصاویر بود که برای یه کتاب مثل این و درک بهتر مخاطب از مطالب، واجبه.
واقعا متاسفم که این کتاب نوشته شده چون بازار کتاب فعلا دیکته میکنه راه برای کتابهای بهتر که به مارها بپردازن تا مدت زیادی بسته بشه و این فرصتسوزی قابل بخشش نیست.
راستی! مثل هر کتاب علمی دیگهای اینجا هم خالی از شاهکارهای هموطن ایرانی نبود. مادر ایرانی، فرزند خودش که یه محقق بلندپایه ست رُ جلو کلی پروفسر دیگه دعوا میکنه که چرا بیاجازه پاشد رفته روی مارها تحقیق کنه.
از این کتاب و تحقیقاتی که کردم کُلی نکات باحال دارم که اگه دوست داشتید خصوصی پیام بدید و بگید تا براتون ازشون بنویسم. نمی خوام اینجا رُ زیادی شلوغ کنم؛ این کتاب ارزش نقل قول نداره.
November 12, 2025
3.5
I listened to the book; I didn't like the narrator, which may have decreased my enjoyment.
It's is a broadly researched book, lots of information. But the information was tucked into rather stretched human situations - the Egyptians, people dying of snake bites, the feistiness of a female herpetologist. To me, it all seemed rather posed: I've set the scene, now take the picture.
Best for me was the chapter on snake movement. Chapter on snake antivenoms was good. The pythons moving north from Florida is alarming in terms of wildlife. But... the information never grabbed me -- I never stopped after a chapter and thought, wow, that's great, I need to learn more.
Maybe I'm just not a snake person. For snake people, I gather that this is a great read.
I listened to the book; I didn't like the narrator, which may have decreased my enjoyment.
It's is a broadly researched book, lots of information. But the information was tucked into rather stretched human situations - the Egyptians, people dying of snake bites, the feistiness of a female herpetologist. To me, it all seemed rather posed: I've set the scene, now take the picture.
Best for me was the chapter on snake movement. Chapter on snake antivenoms was good. The pythons moving north from Florida is alarming in terms of wildlife. But... the information never grabbed me -- I never stopped after a chapter and thought, wow, that's great, I need to learn more.
Maybe I'm just not a snake person. For snake people, I gather that this is a great read.
August 19, 2025
Each year, an estimated 30,000 dogs in the U.S. are bitten by venomous snakes. Last month, my dog Murphy became one of them. We let him out before bed, as we always do, and he came back limping, unable to put weight on his back leg. Within minutes, his paw swelled, and two small puncture wounds made the cause unmistakable: a snake bite. Thankfully, we rushed him to the emergency vet, and he’s made a full recovery. Still, I’d be lying if I said the thought of snakes lurking in my backyard doesn’t unsettle me. Like many people, I grew up believing the best snake was a dead snake.
In his newest book Slither, Stephen S. Hall shows just how common—and deeply ingrained—those fears are. But he also challenges them, arguing that if we took the time to understand snakes, our fear might shift into a deeper understanding.
As we look back through history, it’s no wonder snakes have been both reviled and revered. From the sacred deities of ancient Egypt to the cautionary tales of the Garden of Eden, serpents have slithered their way through mythology, art, and religion. Stephen S. Hall traces this complex relationship with precision, showing how the enigma of snakes—their beauty, danger, and mystery—has shaped human culture for millennia. But what makes Slither most compelling is the way Hall blends that rich history with cutting-edge science.
For better or worse, much of what we now know about snakes has only come to light in recent decades. For centuries, fear and superstition kept us from asking what we might learn from them. Hall highlights startling discoveries. He shows how pythons, for instance, spend most of their lives in metabolic stillness, with their stomachs at a pH similar to that of water—only to completely rewire their biology after a massive meal. Their organs grow and regenerate at astonishing rates before shrinking back to normal, a process scientists believe could unlock clues about metabolism and tissue repair. And that’s only scratching the surface.
Slither is a sweeping, comprehensive study that weaves science and biology with mythology, artistic depictions, and cultural fascination. Hall captures the wonder of what we still don’t fully understand, from snakes’ mysterious mating habits to their resilience against biological swings that would kill most other animals. He also explores the long-term consequences of human interference, like the exploding population of non-native Burmese pythons in Florida. By the end, I found myself with a healthier respect for snakes. I’m still wary of them, but Hall convinced me of their vital place in our world and the importance of continuing to study them.
In his newest book Slither, Stephen S. Hall shows just how common—and deeply ingrained—those fears are. But he also challenges them, arguing that if we took the time to understand snakes, our fear might shift into a deeper understanding.
As we look back through history, it’s no wonder snakes have been both reviled and revered. From the sacred deities of ancient Egypt to the cautionary tales of the Garden of Eden, serpents have slithered their way through mythology, art, and religion. Stephen S. Hall traces this complex relationship with precision, showing how the enigma of snakes—their beauty, danger, and mystery—has shaped human culture for millennia. But what makes Slither most compelling is the way Hall blends that rich history with cutting-edge science.
For better or worse, much of what we now know about snakes has only come to light in recent decades. For centuries, fear and superstition kept us from asking what we might learn from them. Hall highlights startling discoveries. He shows how pythons, for instance, spend most of their lives in metabolic stillness, with their stomachs at a pH similar to that of water—only to completely rewire their biology after a massive meal. Their organs grow and regenerate at astonishing rates before shrinking back to normal, a process scientists believe could unlock clues about metabolism and tissue repair. And that’s only scratching the surface.
Slither is a sweeping, comprehensive study that weaves science and biology with mythology, artistic depictions, and cultural fascination. Hall captures the wonder of what we still don’t fully understand, from snakes’ mysterious mating habits to their resilience against biological swings that would kill most other animals. He also explores the long-term consequences of human interference, like the exploding population of non-native Burmese pythons in Florida. By the end, I found myself with a healthier respect for snakes. I’m still wary of them, but Hall convinced me of their vital place in our world and the importance of continuing to study them.
April 28, 2025
Slither was a wildly fascinating and deeply researched book that completely transformed the way I think about snakes and other misunderstood creatures. Hall dives into the science, mythology, and cultural history surrounding these animals, showing just how important they are to our world. The book was eye-opening in so many ways, and Hall’s passion for the subject is infectious. This easily could have been a five-star read for me, but I found that at times the science became a little overwhelming. Some sections were packed with technical information that I struggled to fully understand everything being discussed. That said, it never took away from my overall enjoyment, and I appreciated how much effort Hall put into thoroughly exploring every aspect of his topic. My favorite chapter was the one focused on snake venom: it was absolutely fascinating to learn how many critical medicines have been developed from venom and how much we owe to these creatures for treatments we often take for granted. It gave me a new level of respect and gratitude for snakes and reminded me just how interconnected we are with the natural world. Slither is a captivating read that will open your eyes to the wonders of nature’s most maligned creatures, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves animals, science, or simply wants to see snakes in a whole new light.
May 4, 2025
I felt like this book did a wonderful job of providing an overveiw of the biology and natural history of snakes and presenting it in a way that embraced curiosity and awe over caution and cheap thrills.
As a reader with a fair amount of experience working with snakes, there was a significant amount of the information that wasn't new to me, but I still found the writing style to be entertaining, and enjoyed seeing another well presented take on these topics. I was also able to glean quite a bit of new information about certain aspects of serpentine biology and behavior!
As a reader with a fair amount of experience working with snakes, there was a significant amount of the information that wasn't new to me, but I still found the writing style to be entertaining, and enjoyed seeing another well presented take on these topics. I was also able to glean quite a bit of new information about certain aspects of serpentine biology and behavior!
December 5, 2025
This produced nightmares about snakes which defeated the book’s purpose entirely, but I really enjoyed this!
July 31, 2025
So, I mostly liked—and really enjoyed—this fascinating book.
(As a casual fan of snakes and a once resident of south Florida who shared a lot of space with them and thus developed a healthy respect for them, I feel like it would be a shame not to support a book about these majestically slinky creatures.)
Some questionable anthropomorphizing here and there aside, I think this book does a clear and compelling job of introducing readers to the wonderful—and often weird—world of snakes.
A majority of layman readers would definitely leave this book knowing more about herpetology—and hopefully appreciating these too often maligned reptiles more.
Every chapter introduces a different adaptation or aspect of snakes and proceeds to discuss some curated history or research related to that topic. Through this approach, readers get a broad, but pretty “all-around” glimpse into what makes snakes so special—biologically, culturally, etc.
I definitely leave this book with a reinvigorated curiosity of snakes—and the world of reptiles beyond.
That said, I do have *some* critiques.
First, I find it odd how this author brings up several once renowned herpetologists who are now reviled/held in contempt for their racist, misogynistic, etc. views—which are quite detailed in this book—before, in a roundabout way, saying that their valuable contributions to the field somewhat lessen those issues?
The author himself certainly doesn’t condone these viewpoints (as evidenced by his commentary in support of progressive politics sprinkled throughout). But, I get the feeling he doesn’t want to offend any herpetologists who can excuse the racism and misogyny. (To which I say—offend them, Stephen.)
But still.
This author almost bends over backwards to explain these awful men in the name of science while under-critiquing and under-exploring all the systemic ways in which women and POC have been prevented from more actively participating in this field. I highly doubt it’s just a “matter of interest”.
He talks about it early in the book but, aside from really one anecdote with Emily Taylor(?), the sexism in the field is more of a footnote.
Anyway.
The hands-down, most perplexing thing about this whole book is how western, Eurocentric it is.
Especially for a book that brings up so many snake species from Africa, Asia, and South America and just how much science relies on those snakes, you’d think more of the research, history, and cultural references would be diverse—and you’d be wrong.
Nah—we’re talking about the Ancient Greeks and Romans.
Every man really is obsessed with the Roman Empire, aren’t they?
I couldn’t stop thinking about that meme every time this book found a way to circle back to the ancient Greeks and Romans.
I mean, I just feel like there have to be groups of people from other places where there are a lot of “medically significant” snakes that have them embedded in their culture and belief systems in ways that speak to contemporary understandings of the world.
Anyway, anyway.
I guess I digress.
Those critiques aren’t necessarily about the substance of this book—which, again, I think is solid. Nor are the critiques about the author himself—who I believe is a good person with (perhaps) a few blind spots.
I’d still recommend this book for any fans of snakes or readers who enjoy pop science books that broaden their knowledge on different, curious corners of our big, wide world~
(As a casual fan of snakes and a once resident of south Florida who shared a lot of space with them and thus developed a healthy respect for them, I feel like it would be a shame not to support a book about these majestically slinky creatures.)
Some questionable anthropomorphizing here and there aside, I think this book does a clear and compelling job of introducing readers to the wonderful—and often weird—world of snakes.
A majority of layman readers would definitely leave this book knowing more about herpetology—and hopefully appreciating these too often maligned reptiles more.
Every chapter introduces a different adaptation or aspect of snakes and proceeds to discuss some curated history or research related to that topic. Through this approach, readers get a broad, but pretty “all-around” glimpse into what makes snakes so special—biologically, culturally, etc.
I definitely leave this book with a reinvigorated curiosity of snakes—and the world of reptiles beyond.
That said, I do have *some* critiques.
First, I find it odd how this author brings up several once renowned herpetologists who are now reviled/held in contempt for their racist, misogynistic, etc. views—which are quite detailed in this book—before, in a roundabout way, saying that their valuable contributions to the field somewhat lessen those issues?
The author himself certainly doesn’t condone these viewpoints (as evidenced by his commentary in support of progressive politics sprinkled throughout). But, I get the feeling he doesn’t want to offend any herpetologists who can excuse the racism and misogyny. (To which I say—offend them, Stephen.)
But still.
This author almost bends over backwards to explain these awful men in the name of science while under-critiquing and under-exploring all the systemic ways in which women and POC have been prevented from more actively participating in this field. I highly doubt it’s just a “matter of interest”.
He talks about it early in the book but, aside from really one anecdote with Emily Taylor(?), the sexism in the field is more of a footnote.
Anyway.
The hands-down, most perplexing thing about this whole book is how western, Eurocentric it is.
Especially for a book that brings up so many snake species from Africa, Asia, and South America and just how much science relies on those snakes, you’d think more of the research, history, and cultural references would be diverse—and you’d be wrong.
Nah—we’re talking about the Ancient Greeks and Romans.
Every man really is obsessed with the Roman Empire, aren’t they?
I couldn’t stop thinking about that meme every time this book found a way to circle back to the ancient Greeks and Romans.
I mean, I just feel like there have to be groups of people from other places where there are a lot of “medically significant” snakes that have them embedded in their culture and belief systems in ways that speak to contemporary understandings of the world.
Anyway, anyway.
I guess I digress.
Those critiques aren’t necessarily about the substance of this book—which, again, I think is solid. Nor are the critiques about the author himself—who I believe is a good person with (perhaps) a few blind spots.
I’d still recommend this book for any fans of snakes or readers who enjoy pop science books that broaden their knowledge on different, curious corners of our big, wide world~
April 12, 2025
Granted, I am absolutely the right target audience for this book. I spent my first two years after graduating studying snakes. I have handled over a hundred snakes in my life and I think they are absolutely fascinating. Needless to say, this book was a great read for me.
Thank you Grand Central for this complimentary copy.
Thank you Grand Central for this complimentary copy.
June 18, 2025
4.5 stars - I can't really think of anything to complain about with this eco-memoir/bio
Special kudos go to this man for spending a considerable amount of the book pointing out the sexist, chauvinistic, and consequentially myopic history of the herpetologist community. One of the glaring examples of how this imbalance negatively affects the general population's understanding of scientific knowledge: In the 1800s there were all-male teams of scientists recording their discovery that male snakes have two penises, which they called hemi-penes. The men didn’t even bother looking into the corresponding genitalia of the female snakes. Only just in the 2020's has there been a team of all-women herpetologists who intuitively thought to look at the form and function of female snake genitals, and they learned that they actually have two clitorises! The implications of these nerve-dense "hemi-clitores" combined with the sometimes 24-hour long copulation sessions snakes have, and the advanced chemical mechanisms they've developed to prevent less desirable sperm from fertilizing their eggs (similar, but not identical, to what humans' reproductive systems do without us consciously willing them to) are startling and would send Aristotle's head spinning.
Whether you have a deep-seated phobia of snakes like many people do (and which is rooted in our evolutionary survival instincts) or you're already a lover of elegant, slithering serpents, I highly recommend this book.
Special kudos go to this man for spending a considerable amount of the book pointing out the sexist, chauvinistic, and consequentially myopic history of the herpetologist community. One of the glaring examples of how this imbalance negatively affects the general population's understanding of scientific knowledge: In the 1800s there were all-male teams of scientists recording their discovery that male snakes have two penises, which they called hemi-penes. The men didn’t even bother looking into the corresponding genitalia of the female snakes. Only just in the 2020's has there been a team of all-women herpetologists who intuitively thought to look at the form and function of female snake genitals, and they learned that they actually have two clitorises! The implications of these nerve-dense "hemi-clitores" combined with the sometimes 24-hour long copulation sessions snakes have, and the advanced chemical mechanisms they've developed to prevent less desirable sperm from fertilizing their eggs (similar, but not identical, to what humans' reproductive systems do without us consciously willing them to) are startling and would send Aristotle's head spinning.
Whether you have a deep-seated phobia of snakes like many people do (and which is rooted in our evolutionary survival instincts) or you're already a lover of elegant, slithering serpents, I highly recommend this book.
October 25, 2025
Sooooo good
August 3, 2025
This was ok minus the political commentary. The most interesting chapter was the last chapter on Florida pythons. Oh and apparently female snakes have a clitoris.
December 16, 2025
A decent entry in the pop-science canon. It reads how you’d expect: like an expanded hot take, sprinkled with some science-y surprises, with the tone set to “mildly intriguing” and the pace set at “keep it rolling.” It’s not a book that lingers in the mind, but it delivers what it’s meant to deliver.
I will say that I was one of those people who had assumed snakes were evolutionarily quite simple, and I no longer see them that way. A few of those info-nuggets have even stuck with me so, you know, well done.
I will say that I was one of those people who had assumed snakes were evolutionarily quite simple, and I no longer see them that way. A few of those info-nuggets have even stuck with me so, you know, well done.
July 26, 2025
Great book for snake enthusiasts.A nice combination of science (everything you needed to know about snake vaginas and robots based on sidewinders,) lore(Aesclepius or Quetzalcoatl , among many others, ) and thrill factor ( anyone up for being bitten by a snake after it’s been decapitated!)Author keeps it simple, avoiding jargon and neither going over readers heads nor speaking down to them. Great read!
September 9, 2025
Bust.
Unfortunately like many science-journalist books, this is more about the people who love snakes and not the snakes themselves. I read half and then lost interest as the scales tipped more and more heavily towards humans.
Unfortunately like many science-journalist books, this is more about the people who love snakes and not the snakes themselves. I read half and then lost interest as the scales tipped more and more heavily towards humans.
October 21, 2025
Fantastic book. It’s always rare to see books about reptiles… so I have to jump at the opportunity to support them. Well done and really cool cultural research done. A good mix of science, culture and anecdotes that do such a polarizing animal justice.
December 5, 2025
Absolutely LOVED this book. It started out good and got progressively better and better, with the last 1/3 being fantastic as it dealt with the Florida Everglades and the pythons that were dumped there over the past 50+ years.
One of my top 5 books of 2025.
One of my top 5 books of 2025.
July 30, 2025
Interesting.
May 30, 2025
The book will remind you or teach you why snakes are fascinating creatures. Written for the layperson but with enough science to keep things interesting.
December 15, 2025
SO GOOD! Meticulously researched, fascinating, and a love letter to nature- eve if you don't like snakes you should read this book! ❤️🐍
July 3, 2025
3.5/5
I love my slithery bois and loved all the information in this book! It was very dense, so a little hard to get through, but I’m glad I took the time to read it 😌 ASK ME ABOUT SNAKE CLITORISES 🐍
I love my slithery bois and loved all the information in this book! It was very dense, so a little hard to get through, but I’m glad I took the time to read it 😌 ASK ME ABOUT SNAKE CLITORISES 🐍
September 20, 2025
This little sweetheart lives in the tropics, often on small islands that lack trees. Such islands often host large colonies of seabirds that, lacking nesting material, dig shallow dens in the sand to lay their eggs. One thing we can all agree on is that snakes are evil, no? The Bible tells us so. This lovely little yellow-and-black reptile proves the point by burrowing deep into the sand and coming up vertically under a clutch of eggs, biting through the shell and devouring the contents while the mama or papa bird is sitting on the eggs, none the wiser. Dare I point out that true evil is often presented with a degree of panache?
= = = = =
Oh, how I have missed reading five-⭐science books! Apparently the last one I read was back in November 2023, and it wasn’t even fully a science book but more of a speculative summary. Slither is a joy to read.
= = = = =
When my kids were around 10 – 12 years old, we went camping at a place called Loon Lake up in the Sierra Nevada one year. Loon lake is 1950m / 6400 feet above sea level, and swimming there is an exercise in cold-water bravery. Shortly after we arrived, my wife, daughter and I were inching our way into the lake one slow step at a time when my son just ran in at full speed and dove in as soon as the water was deep enough. (There’s something wrong with that boy.) He came back up a few seconds later, gasping from the cold, a little snake clasped in his fist. How the snake survived in this frigid water is something I’ll never understand.
Stephen Hall makes a strong case that survival is in fact what snakes do best. They used to have legs – why did they evolve away from them? How do they manage to be so toxic to so many different types of animal? (Fact I learned along the way: All snakes are packing deadly venom. The difference between a “harmless” garter snake and a rattlesnake is one of dosage, not of toxicity. So-called venomous snakes have evolved hypodermic fangs and powerful venom-ejection muscles, so the dosage from a rattlesnake bite is at least 100,000 times greater than what you’ll get from a “non-venomous” snake.) How do they sense prey and predators so effectively? These are the sorts of questions Hall asks, and he does a very good job of tracking down experts to help explain the answers.
Snake experts are, even in this day and age, kind of a weird bunch.
= = = = =
For some reason, nearly everybody knows they have arteries, veins and capillaries reaching to every nook and cranny of the body, but are unaware that they have an equally extensive system of lymph vessels. For reasons left unexamined here, snake venom typically spreads through the lymph vessels before eventually finding its way into the bloodstream. I had long believed that most venomous snakes, like rattlesnakes, dosed their prey with hemotoxin, ie blood poison, while the seriously deadly snakes like bushmasters and taipans, which always seem to live in Australia, hit you with nerve poison. It turns out that most snake venom contains both of these ingredients, along with myotoxins (muscles). While taipans are indeed the most toxic of all, you really should try and avoid being bitten by any of these fellas.
In the U.S., however, only about six people per year die of snakebite, far fewer than from lightning or falling off ladders. (Most of these six U.S. deaths are from guys being bitten in the arms while drunk and trying to beat the snake to death with a shovel or bottle of Jack Daniels or whatever, instead of taking the sensible option of just leaving it the fuck alone and walking around it.) But in areas without easy access to medical care, it’s a far bigger problem, claiming about 30,000 lives per year. As to the number of snakes killed by humans, I don’t think we have those figures. But I expect it’s a far higher number.
= = = = =
I am lucky to live near the habitat of what many snake fans consider the most beautiful of all wild snakes – the San Francisco garter snake, which lives only in the two counties south of the city (San Mateo and Santa Cruz) in isolated pockets along the coast. They are, of course, endangered.
= = = = =
What elevates this book from highly interesting to almost magical is Hall’s deft touch with pro-environmental commentary. There are many examples of this; here’s one, late in the book. I won’t talk about the hundreds of thousands of Burmese pythons currently keeping the mammal population down in Florida’s Everglades, except to say they’re so well camouflaged they’re almost impossible to find. In a good year, game wardens might find 20,000 of them, which sounds like a lot until you realize the probable population approaches a half million, though nobody really knows. He went on two separate expeditions with somebody the State of Florida is paying to try and hunt them down and kill them. They didn’t find anything, except a pretty little black racer snake.
Kalil invited me to come back later in the spring to try again, and I had intended to do so. But as I read the up-to-the-minute 119-page report on Florida’s invasive pythons, I realized that not finding them, perversely, may have been the more authentic experience. Not finding them is the single most important fact clouding every baseline assessment of the problem, every control strategy, every government policy moving forward.This sounds an awful lot like wisdom.
May 5, 2025
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for this free copy in exchange for an honest review!
What a fun way to learn about snakes! Slither was so easy to read, had great herpetological stories and kept me so interested. I learned about medications (other than anti-venom) that are derived from snake venom and also read a story about a woman dying by suicide from a snake bite. This was fascinating.
I’ve always loved snakes. As a kid, I would capture water snakes from creeks and chase my dad with them. He’s terrified hehe. It’s good for dads to slightly fear their daughters.
What a fun way to learn about snakes! Slither was so easy to read, had great herpetological stories and kept me so interested. I learned about medications (other than anti-venom) that are derived from snake venom and also read a story about a woman dying by suicide from a snake bite. This was fascinating.
I’ve always loved snakes. As a kid, I would capture water snakes from creeks and chase my dad with them. He’s terrified hehe. It’s good for dads to slightly fear their daughters.
May 17, 2025
Slither, by Stephen S. Hall, is a wide-ranging and fascinating look at snakes, labeled in the subtitle, “nature’s most maligned creatures.” By the time the reader finishes Hall’s work, I don’t know if they will like snakes if they do not already, but they will certainly respect and admire them.
After an introduction that offers up Hall’s own youthful enthusiasm for snakes, and two more general chapters, each of the remaining main chapters deals with a different specific element, including venom, snake metabolism, their sensory system, reproduction, movement, and their impressive ability to adapt. Scattered between these more science/fact-based chapters are a series of interludes titled “snake road”, each of which takes us (unsurprisingly) to a different road associated with snakes (usually in combination with humans). These include a road in Rome with an ancient sculpture commemorating the of a snake brought from a temple of Asklepios the Healer to hopefully end a deadly plague, and another in Italy that is the setting for an annual snake festival procession.
Slither is full of utterly fascinating material. The section on locomotion focuses particularly on the spellbinding gait of the sidewinder, which seems to defy physics and common sense (as one scientist says, if you watch them too long you go mad) and the complete failure of us humans to try and emulate it in a robot meant for search and rescue. One of the more amazing points in here is the snake’s ability to adjust just how much of their body surface contacts the side they’re moving over — on the fly, within milliseconds, and to a degree of precision measured in tenths of a percent. The same level of precision crops up again in the discussion of their sensory capabilities (think about being able to distinguish something on “opposite sides” of a blade of grass. Meanwhile, I guarantee you’ll think differently about snakes after learning why the females might take pleasure in the sexual act (particularly given how brutal it can be on them). And if you think of snakes as ice-cold loners, you might be surprised as some of the revelations on their sociability, such as how some snake mothers care for their young for weeks after their birth or let other snake moms “babysit” (and that they are picky about which ones). Or on how many of the scientists that work with them argue each snake has its own personality.
The segments on snakes in human culture are also highly interesting, whether it be their association with the aforementioned Asklepios, their better-known role in Christian mythos, or on the flip side of Christian views, the pre-eminent role the serpent cult played in Mesoamerican societies. A degree of reverence for the snake and also for its representation of the natural world, both of which we seem to have lost, much to our own detriment and far more to the detriment of those creatures, including snakes, we share the world with (though less so day after day) as we destroy their habitats, declare them invasive (as if they built ships and planes to attack our shores rather than arrive via our own machinations), and force them to try and adapt to a crazily-accelerating global temperature.
The book is detailed, clear, and informative throughout, and the information side is enhanced by Hall’s engaging voice, particularly as he dips into his own experience, whether it’s looking for snakes as a child in his Michigan neighborhood or traveling with a group of python hunters in the Everglades for this book. I also appreciated that as much admiration as Hall has for snakes, he doesn’t ignore their deadliness as well, giving us a number of statistics on fatal bites, the lethality of their venom, and some vivid personal accounts from those who have suffered bites.
As noted, while I like to think some people who “hate” snakes (a response Hall explores in terms of whether it might be hardwired in us from our earliest days) will change their minds after reading this, that’s probably unlikely. But also as mentioned, it’s hard to believe they won’t come away marveling at them and (hopefully) wanting them to stick around, even if they prefer it not be in their backyards. Well recommended. 4.5
After an introduction that offers up Hall’s own youthful enthusiasm for snakes, and two more general chapters, each of the remaining main chapters deals with a different specific element, including venom, snake metabolism, their sensory system, reproduction, movement, and their impressive ability to adapt. Scattered between these more science/fact-based chapters are a series of interludes titled “snake road”, each of which takes us (unsurprisingly) to a different road associated with snakes (usually in combination with humans). These include a road in Rome with an ancient sculpture commemorating the of a snake brought from a temple of Asklepios the Healer to hopefully end a deadly plague, and another in Italy that is the setting for an annual snake festival procession.
Slither is full of utterly fascinating material. The section on locomotion focuses particularly on the spellbinding gait of the sidewinder, which seems to defy physics and common sense (as one scientist says, if you watch them too long you go mad) and the complete failure of us humans to try and emulate it in a robot meant for search and rescue. One of the more amazing points in here is the snake’s ability to adjust just how much of their body surface contacts the side they’re moving over — on the fly, within milliseconds, and to a degree of precision measured in tenths of a percent. The same level of precision crops up again in the discussion of their sensory capabilities (think about being able to distinguish something on “opposite sides” of a blade of grass. Meanwhile, I guarantee you’ll think differently about snakes after learning why the females might take pleasure in the sexual act (particularly given how brutal it can be on them). And if you think of snakes as ice-cold loners, you might be surprised as some of the revelations on their sociability, such as how some snake mothers care for their young for weeks after their birth or let other snake moms “babysit” (and that they are picky about which ones). Or on how many of the scientists that work with them argue each snake has its own personality.
The segments on snakes in human culture are also highly interesting, whether it be their association with the aforementioned Asklepios, their better-known role in Christian mythos, or on the flip side of Christian views, the pre-eminent role the serpent cult played in Mesoamerican societies. A degree of reverence for the snake and also for its representation of the natural world, both of which we seem to have lost, much to our own detriment and far more to the detriment of those creatures, including snakes, we share the world with (though less so day after day) as we destroy their habitats, declare them invasive (as if they built ships and planes to attack our shores rather than arrive via our own machinations), and force them to try and adapt to a crazily-accelerating global temperature.
The book is detailed, clear, and informative throughout, and the information side is enhanced by Hall’s engaging voice, particularly as he dips into his own experience, whether it’s looking for snakes as a child in his Michigan neighborhood or traveling with a group of python hunters in the Everglades for this book. I also appreciated that as much admiration as Hall has for snakes, he doesn’t ignore their deadliness as well, giving us a number of statistics on fatal bites, the lethality of their venom, and some vivid personal accounts from those who have suffered bites.
As noted, while I like to think some people who “hate” snakes (a response Hall explores in terms of whether it might be hardwired in us from our earliest days) will change their minds after reading this, that’s probably unlikely. But also as mentioned, it’s hard to believe they won’t come away marveling at them and (hopefully) wanting them to stick around, even if they prefer it not be in their backyards. Well recommended. 4.5
August 21, 2025
Animal books are one of my favorite indulgences to read especially when done right and this one was done right. I read slowly through this story because I was trying to take in all the information Hall offered from the biological to the environmental, the mythic underpinnings of the serpent to anecdotes about snakes. It truly does what it sets out to do-- share how snakes are a creature to covet rather than dread (though a fair amount of respect is always needed).
He opens up the book with a humdinger of a story which instantly sucks a reader in and then gets into items such as finding way to make antivenom available to the poorest most rural areas of the world (where the death rate is HIGH because currently any antivenom must be in cold storage and obviously stored at a hospital that many wouldn't reach in time for it to be effective) so they've used a histamine/nasal spray opportunity as an experiment to continue to work at. Hall also talks about the academic world of herpetologists and the celebration of more women in the field. He talks about snake mating. He tells stories of snakes in his vignettes that break up the chapters.
Ultimately, this is a well-researched book that has a focus-- to stop giving snakes the bad rap that they get-- just because we're generally biologically wired to be a little weary of their mode of transportation. I know I have a deeper appreciation and respect for them. I know my fear is generally unwarranted so I try to help it in any way I can. Reading this book was one and the second was last month during a summer reading event at the library, I held one, so I'm coming along.
"And snakes are, above all, survivalists. Despite their limitations, they've been around for some 130 to 150 million years, when the first proto-snakes peels off from the lizard lineage, elongated their bodies, added ribs, and subtracted limbs...They inhabit every continent except Antarctica. They range in size from three inches to 30 feet. They may eat once a day or once a year. They may perish in the jaws of predators in the first week of life or live for decades. They've survived dinosaurs, droughts, asteroids, ice ages, and all manner of predator. In an age of climate change, they are prodigies at adjusting to thermal variations in the environment. If we stop loathing (and killing) them, we might learn something from them."
"If Wiley's hypothesis was true, it would suggest that the snakes did not have an innate sense that she was a threat, but rather had learned that her scent was not threatening... Depending on your point of view, her hypothesis was tragically disproven or proven mortally true in the summer of 1948, when she was bitten by a newly arrived Indian cobra that had not yet been habituated to the scent of her clothing. Among her last words were, "He really didn't bite me, did he?" (He did, and she died hours later.)"
"Snakes are masters of a multitude of gaits. We usually associate the word gait with walking, but it scientifically refers to any mode of locomotion that navigates a terrestrial environment... recently argued that snakes have 11 distinct and unique ways of propelling their bodies through the world, although they more or less fall into four general gaits. One of those modes, known as lateral undulation, is what we casually call slithering... The literature is thick with papers proposing formulas that explain the four main modes of snake locomotion: lateral undulation (slithering); rectilinear (straightforward crawling or "belly rippling" as heavy-bodied species do); concertina (where the snake drags itself forward in serial contractions that resemble the expansion and contraction of an accordion, typically seen in species that navigate narrow spaces like tree limbs or tunnels); and sidewinding (where the snake's forward movement is actually at a sharp angle to the axis of the body)."
"It turns out that some of the most hospitable and protected habitat for snakes in all of America, and probably in the world, is associated with the military- army bases, air bases, training camps, weapons testing facilities, and similar off-limits government installations. Department of Defense land holdings amount to 26 million acres, that represents only 3 percent of US federal landholdings, but includes "more rare, threatened, and endangered species per acre than any other federal land managing agency." including national parks and Bureau of Land Management holdings, according to a 2015 DOD strategic plan for reptile and amphibian conservation."
He opens up the book with a humdinger of a story which instantly sucks a reader in and then gets into items such as finding way to make antivenom available to the poorest most rural areas of the world (where the death rate is HIGH because currently any antivenom must be in cold storage and obviously stored at a hospital that many wouldn't reach in time for it to be effective) so they've used a histamine/nasal spray opportunity as an experiment to continue to work at. Hall also talks about the academic world of herpetologists and the celebration of more women in the field. He talks about snake mating. He tells stories of snakes in his vignettes that break up the chapters.
Ultimately, this is a well-researched book that has a focus-- to stop giving snakes the bad rap that they get-- just because we're generally biologically wired to be a little weary of their mode of transportation. I know I have a deeper appreciation and respect for them. I know my fear is generally unwarranted so I try to help it in any way I can. Reading this book was one and the second was last month during a summer reading event at the library, I held one, so I'm coming along.
"And snakes are, above all, survivalists. Despite their limitations, they've been around for some 130 to 150 million years, when the first proto-snakes peels off from the lizard lineage, elongated their bodies, added ribs, and subtracted limbs...They inhabit every continent except Antarctica. They range in size from three inches to 30 feet. They may eat once a day or once a year. They may perish in the jaws of predators in the first week of life or live for decades. They've survived dinosaurs, droughts, asteroids, ice ages, and all manner of predator. In an age of climate change, they are prodigies at adjusting to thermal variations in the environment. If we stop loathing (and killing) them, we might learn something from them."
"If Wiley's hypothesis was true, it would suggest that the snakes did not have an innate sense that she was a threat, but rather had learned that her scent was not threatening... Depending on your point of view, her hypothesis was tragically disproven or proven mortally true in the summer of 1948, when she was bitten by a newly arrived Indian cobra that had not yet been habituated to the scent of her clothing. Among her last words were, "He really didn't bite me, did he?" (He did, and she died hours later.)"
"Snakes are masters of a multitude of gaits. We usually associate the word gait with walking, but it scientifically refers to any mode of locomotion that navigates a terrestrial environment... recently argued that snakes have 11 distinct and unique ways of propelling their bodies through the world, although they more or less fall into four general gaits. One of those modes, known as lateral undulation, is what we casually call slithering... The literature is thick with papers proposing formulas that explain the four main modes of snake locomotion: lateral undulation (slithering); rectilinear (straightforward crawling or "belly rippling" as heavy-bodied species do); concertina (where the snake drags itself forward in serial contractions that resemble the expansion and contraction of an accordion, typically seen in species that navigate narrow spaces like tree limbs or tunnels); and sidewinding (where the snake's forward movement is actually at a sharp angle to the axis of the body)."
"It turns out that some of the most hospitable and protected habitat for snakes in all of America, and probably in the world, is associated with the military- army bases, air bases, training camps, weapons testing facilities, and similar off-limits government installations. Department of Defense land holdings amount to 26 million acres, that represents only 3 percent of US federal landholdings, but includes "more rare, threatened, and endangered species per acre than any other federal land managing agency." including national parks and Bureau of Land Management holdings, according to a 2015 DOD strategic plan for reptile and amphibian conservation."
June 2, 2025
Snakes: you either find them endlessly fascinating or are petrified of them.
Snakes have been maligned ever since the beginning and the story of the Garden of Eden. We can understand why: even today many humans die by snakebite or constriction. They represent a significant danger in the environment.
Yet, as with all living creatures, they exist for reasons, fill ecological niches, and, as we are learning, are incredibly adaptable and interesting in their biology and behaviors.
In Slither: How Nature’s Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World (galley received as part of early review program), Stephen Hall compellingly describes the history of herpetology, how herpetologists old and new became easily obsessed with snakes, and explores many of the aspects of snake biology which prominently feature in present research. Throughout the work he also includes stories of the “snake road,” often featuring local cultures and communities and the ways they fear, respect, and revere snakes.
In this book I learned garter snakes are actually venomous with decently potent venom; they’re just unable to envenomate humans with their bite. Considering how many garter snakes used to live in my old house in Illinois, it was still not a little unsettling, and yet the cohabitation we experienced did not lead to any real harm.
The author does well in this book at encouraging at least a respect for the compelling biology of snakes: we have already developed certain kinds of medicine on the basis of how certain forms of snake venom work, and who knows what other treatments may be made possible through similar such forms of research. Scientists have only recently really deeply explored snakes and their biology, and there’s a lot which can still be learned in this discipline. There’s much to be learned regarding snake venom, their metabolism, how they sense the world, how they reproduce, how they move, and, yes, as can be seen with pythons in Florida, how well they can adapt to different environments.
But there’s also a darker note throughout the book: everyone, from lay people to scientists, are noting how there seem to be fewer snakes around these days. And this is not even in comparison with many generations ago: it seems to be a quite recent phenomenon. Sure, many people may not feel too sad if snakes go extinct. But we do well to respect and honor snakes and their role in our ecosystems, and in general work to encourage better stewardship of the world with which we have been entrusted.
Snakes have been maligned ever since the beginning and the story of the Garden of Eden. We can understand why: even today many humans die by snakebite or constriction. They represent a significant danger in the environment.
Yet, as with all living creatures, they exist for reasons, fill ecological niches, and, as we are learning, are incredibly adaptable and interesting in their biology and behaviors.
In Slither: How Nature’s Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World (galley received as part of early review program), Stephen Hall compellingly describes the history of herpetology, how herpetologists old and new became easily obsessed with snakes, and explores many of the aspects of snake biology which prominently feature in present research. Throughout the work he also includes stories of the “snake road,” often featuring local cultures and communities and the ways they fear, respect, and revere snakes.
In this book I learned garter snakes are actually venomous with decently potent venom; they’re just unable to envenomate humans with their bite. Considering how many garter snakes used to live in my old house in Illinois, it was still not a little unsettling, and yet the cohabitation we experienced did not lead to any real harm.
The author does well in this book at encouraging at least a respect for the compelling biology of snakes: we have already developed certain kinds of medicine on the basis of how certain forms of snake venom work, and who knows what other treatments may be made possible through similar such forms of research. Scientists have only recently really deeply explored snakes and their biology, and there’s a lot which can still be learned in this discipline. There’s much to be learned regarding snake venom, their metabolism, how they sense the world, how they reproduce, how they move, and, yes, as can be seen with pythons in Florida, how well they can adapt to different environments.
But there’s also a darker note throughout the book: everyone, from lay people to scientists, are noting how there seem to be fewer snakes around these days. And this is not even in comparison with many generations ago: it seems to be a quite recent phenomenon. Sure, many people may not feel too sad if snakes go extinct. But we do well to respect and honor snakes and their role in our ecosystems, and in general work to encourage better stewardship of the world with which we have been entrusted.
September 30, 2025
I learned more about people than snakes in this book. One interesting note was the changing of the name of the Copia journal after the murder of George Floyd, to reject the history of Edward Drinker Cope, who was a prolific herpetologist and fossil collector. It shocks me so little that Cope’s apologist was Osborne, the same Osborne featured in The Monster’s Bones, of the American Museum. Otherwise, most interesting to me, and what I found to be most about literal snakes, was their reproductive variance and rituals. There was a little crossover with road ecology, which I am very interested in per reading Crossings earlier this year (rapidly becoming one of my most cited reads), some forays into cultural engagement and traditions with snakes from Ancient Greece into modern Italy, and some interesting exploration of the Burmese python explosion in south Florida.
This book was interesting, certainly, and covered some great advancements of women and scientific discoveries in the field thereby; however, I don’t know that it accomplished its purpose in refining the majority of peoples’ generally fearful to extremely avoidant relationship to snakes. It does describe in extreme detail how totally lethal they are, how so many who work with them get bitten and die eventually, and that in countries outside the US snakebite kills tens of thousand of people (I think ~60,000 in India alone, on average?) per year. I don’t find this inherently a negative reflection upon snakes; it’s hard out there for a reptile, and while their venom does kill, it also gives us great insight into medication, treating disease, and the aging process among other fascinating potential applications. But the emphasis on recategorizing that visage didn’t come through for me, which feels important to note as someone who didn’t necessarily feel the need to be converted in the first place.
This book was interesting, certainly, and covered some great advancements of women and scientific discoveries in the field thereby; however, I don’t know that it accomplished its purpose in refining the majority of peoples’ generally fearful to extremely avoidant relationship to snakes. It does describe in extreme detail how totally lethal they are, how so many who work with them get bitten and die eventually, and that in countries outside the US snakebite kills tens of thousand of people (I think ~60,000 in India alone, on average?) per year. I don’t find this inherently a negative reflection upon snakes; it’s hard out there for a reptile, and while their venom does kill, it also gives us great insight into medication, treating disease, and the aging process among other fascinating potential applications. But the emphasis on recategorizing that visage didn’t come through for me, which feels important to note as someone who didn’t necessarily feel the need to be converted in the first place.
December 31, 2025
Very interesting, though the audiobook narrator mispronounced a number of words to an extreme degree. The worst was "Teotihuacan" which featured heavily in chapter 22. Having studied mesoamerica in university with a professor fluent in multiple local languages, I found the narrator's pronunciation to be so far from both the contemporary Spanish and classical Nahuatl pronunciations that it was unbearable to listen to.
Aside from that, the book itself was good, though there were a few dubious facts present. A few fringe ideas were presented without the very-needed skepticism and some other information was missing. Among the less evidence-based claims were the notion that snakes universally require UVB, which has been largely refuted by hundreds of thousands of captive snakes that have thrived without it for decades. Another problematic claim was about the development of visual acuity in humans—specifically the claim that humans are able to read because our visual systems evolved specifically to detect snakes. This hypothesis is at the level of mere conjecture and lacks any empirical basis. The snake-fearing behaviours of modern primates does not particularly support this thesis. While non-human primates do show some instinctive fear of snakes, experiments with human babies show no innate fear reactions of snakes, supporting the idea that among humans, ophidophobia (even in mild forms) is learned, not genetic.
Aside from that, the book itself was good, though there were a few dubious facts present. A few fringe ideas were presented without the very-needed skepticism and some other information was missing. Among the less evidence-based claims were the notion that snakes universally require UVB, which has been largely refuted by hundreds of thousands of captive snakes that have thrived without it for decades. Another problematic claim was about the development of visual acuity in humans—specifically the claim that humans are able to read because our visual systems evolved specifically to detect snakes. This hypothesis is at the level of mere conjecture and lacks any empirical basis. The snake-fearing behaviours of modern primates does not particularly support this thesis. While non-human primates do show some instinctive fear of snakes, experiments with human babies show no innate fear reactions of snakes, supporting the idea that among humans, ophidophobia (even in mild forms) is learned, not genetic.
May 4, 2025
The author explores snakes and their singular biology. Each chapter explores a different aspect of the creatures, such as their venomous nature, their adaptations, their metabolism and their place in mythology and religion.
The author conveys his passion for the subject matter in an engaging and in many cases amusing fashion. I learned a great deal about snakes and their biology. There were portions of the book that were heavy on scientific jargon, but on the whole, the author did a commendable job of making this information easily digestible. It was interesting reading in the acknowledgment section that the author chose to write about snakes and the importance of conservation because he wanted to challenge himself to write about an animal that is not universally beloved. Hall does make a compelling case for this creatures continued existence and place in the larger world. One final note, I can't say that I was anticipating getting multiple George Floyd references in a book about snakes.
The author conveys his passion for the subject matter in an engaging and in many cases amusing fashion. I learned a great deal about snakes and their biology. There were portions of the book that were heavy on scientific jargon, but on the whole, the author did a commendable job of making this information easily digestible. It was interesting reading in the acknowledgment section that the author chose to write about snakes and the importance of conservation because he wanted to challenge himself to write about an animal that is not universally beloved. Hall does make a compelling case for this creatures continued existence and place in the larger world. One final note, I can't say that I was anticipating getting multiple George Floyd references in a book about snakes.
August 31, 2025
3.5.
Another interesting micro-history that focuses largely on snakes and the research being done on and with them. Each chapter focuses on one aspect (venom, metabolism, reproduction, locomotion, etc.) and between each chapter is a little aside that details some aspect of snakes in culture throughout the world. This design gives a pretty thorough non-linear picture of snakes as a whole and makes for really interesting reading.
I will admit to getting lost in the metabolism section - there's a lot of medical science I just didn't quite follow - but I appreciate that Hall didn't dumb it down on my account and I certainly got the gist of it which is that snakes have a lot to teach us and maybe even cures to offer us.
I am disappointed there aren't ANY photos - I get this isn't an ID guide and I certainly don't need photos of every snake discussed, but there's some pretty fantastic art and religious iconography detailed and I definitely would have liked to see that.
Great read for the Year of the Snake!
Another interesting micro-history that focuses largely on snakes and the research being done on and with them. Each chapter focuses on one aspect (venom, metabolism, reproduction, locomotion, etc.) and between each chapter is a little aside that details some aspect of snakes in culture throughout the world. This design gives a pretty thorough non-linear picture of snakes as a whole and makes for really interesting reading.
I will admit to getting lost in the metabolism section - there's a lot of medical science I just didn't quite follow - but I appreciate that Hall didn't dumb it down on my account and I certainly got the gist of it which is that snakes have a lot to teach us and maybe even cures to offer us.
I am disappointed there aren't ANY photos - I get this isn't an ID guide and I certainly don't need photos of every snake discussed, but there's some pretty fantastic art and religious iconography detailed and I definitely would have liked to see that.
Great read for the Year of the Snake!
October 14, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this book. I love snakes (although they used to scare me) and there are so few non-academic books about them. I found the author's writing engaging and easy for someone who isn't a scientist. The author really showed how diverse and interesting snakes are and why we shouldn't be so afraid of them. Sure, some of them can injure or kill us, but they aren't out to get you. They are just living their life and sometimes, accidents happen (and people are far more likely to be hurt/killed by cars or guns than snakes). As long as we respect snakes and their environment, we can appreciate their beauty and their importance to our ecosystem without being terrified.
I think this is a good book for people who love snakes as well as those that might be wary or even afraid of them. I've found that the more I learn about something that scares me, the less afraid I am of the thing. So, maybe by reading this book, more people can realize snakes are pretty neat and aren't something to fear.
I think this is a good book for people who love snakes as well as those that might be wary or even afraid of them. I've found that the more I learn about something that scares me, the less afraid I am of the thing. So, maybe by reading this book, more people can realize snakes are pretty neat and aren't something to fear.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews